THE Council of Europe has warned Spain its austerity programme could have a devastating impact on children.

Child poverty reached 30% in 2011 and cuts in welfare, health and education have left some children homeless and malnourished, the continent’s main human rights watchdog said.

Disabled people also face poverty and increasing marginalisation as state help is withdrawn, the council found.

The report follows a visit to Madrid and Seville in June, during which the council’s human rights commissioner Nils Muiznieks met with both government and non-government officials to assess the impact of the economic crisis on the country’s children and disabled people.

The government rebuked the claims, stating investment in education had increased and subsidies for disabled people had also risen over the past couple of years.

Subscribe to the Olive Press

9 COMMENTS

  1. Spain is out of recession, so Rajoy tells us and yet schools have stayed open all of this year just so that the children can get a square meal (with leftovers being kept for the parents). That’s the reality of Spain 2013 that Rajoy wants to keep quiet about.

  2. I can as an “old Un” remember the late 50’s ans early and late 60’s where the same problems occurring, with beggar’s in the street’s just like now.
    So where has all the money gone from the EU and the tourist’s?

  3. i’m getting sick to the back teeth of all of this crap. Council tax bill just arrived – its up 23%. And in the same post, Bin rates – up 30%.
    How can they get away with such hikes in costs?

    Olive Press how about an article on where does all the money go? All these taxes? Generous EU bailouts?

    If I could afford it i’d leave this sinking ship.

  4. Jonny,
    this article was about deprived Spanish children and all you can think about is yourself.

    When we lived in Guadix the bins were emptied every day – at best the bins were emptied once a week back on the island and now I read that some councils will only come round once a month.

    Taken a look at local taxes in the UK recently – thought not.

    It’s the children that count you dummy.

  5. @stuart – well you totally missed the point didnt you? You sound so desperate to spit bile you’ve made yourself the clear dummy!

    This austerity drive is going to make it worse for the children – read up on it!
    How exactly does screwing the last remaing tax payers help anyone? We simply cant afford this. Did anyones salery go up 20-30% recently? Of course not. In fact saleries have gone down. Maybe lots of people got jobs? Not around here – this area has the worst unemployment IN EUROPE.

    I guess your bins were emptied everyday as you talk so much rubbish.
    Come for a visit – its not just children starving and homeless in mainland spain – you can tell the people who cant afford to eat that a 30% increase on bin collection will save the country!

  6. Folks, settle down. The bottom line is that there is no excuse for children not to have food or education. If you put the word out, people will step up to help. Kids shouldn’t have to suffer in the midst of all of this.

  7. I want people to get angry. I want people to read up on whats going on. This country, like others, has been raped by a few individuals – virtually all the wealth is in the hands of a few. Systems are broken or deliberately skewed for the rich. The middle class is being downsized…

    ah, you’re right. why should i bother.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.