Publication Date
In Africa 11 million children have become orphans as a result of AIDS, and the data for sub-Saharan Africa is expected to worsen dramatically over the next few years. This article assesses the implications of increased child vulnerability in terms of care needs, education, survival, and, crucially, nutrition and food security. It suggests that these are vital aspects of children's development and even more importantly they are interconnected: children's nutrition status, for example, affects their cognitive and emotional development and this in turn impacts on their health status. The article calls for a combined development-humanitarian response, capable of responding to the immediate basic needs of orphans but also designed to help recover long-lasting capability and community and family coping mechanisms
