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 History
Political and Economic Realities
The Situation for Children
Country Comparison
RECENT HISTORY
 Nicaragua is a small, Spanish-speaking country in Central America with a population of 5, 335, 000 (UNICEF, State of the World's Children 2004)). It is one of the poorest countries in Latin America . Relative to its population, Nicaragua has a large land area (129,494 square kms) along with many natural resources. Some of the main exports include coffee, tea, beef, fruits, seafood, and clothing.
Prior to the 1979 victory of the Sandinistas, Nicaragua had been ruled for 45 years by the Somoza family who through theft, corruption and severe repression, amassed a personal fortune at the expense of the people. During that time, 50% of the GNP and 40% of the arable land was owned by just 5% of the population (Centre for International Policy, Intal Policy Report 1983). Pre-revolutionary Nicaragua was characterized by tremendous poverty.
The overthrow of the Somoza dictatorship in 1979 (which cost tens of thousands of lives) had long lasting political, social and economic repercussions. Hostile action began immediately against the Sandinistas government mostly by the US . Nicaragua lost most of its aid, was forced to seek alternative import and export markets because of a trade embargo and economic chaos inevitably ensued. Plagued by the Contra war, this economic instability worsened until the mid to late 1990's. After 10 years of US-financed war, an estimated 50,000 had been killed, along with billion of dollars in economic damage.
Even with the crippling economic embargo and escalating military aggression, which forced the Nicaraguan government to spend up to 50% of their budget on defence, tremendous social and political progress was made in Nicaragua in the years following the revolution. New commitments were made in the areas of health care and education and land was redistributed to the peasant farmers.
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A new Constitution was written, enshrining human rights and freedoms. The organizing of people through unions, co-ops and neighbourhood committees as a mechanism for expressing needs and co-ordinating work, was strongly encouraged and supported by the Sandinista government. Finally, in the spirit of political pluralism, a fair and participatory mechanism was set up in order that legitimate political elections could be held for the first time in Nicaragua 's history.
When the time arrived for the next Nicaragua election in 1990, the American message to the Nicaraguan people was clear. A vote for the Sandinistas would bring continued war. A vote for UNO would bring a disbanding of the contras, a lifting of the trade embargo and a granting of US economic support. In preparation for the election, the US channelled $9 million to support the UNO campaign and get their message out to the Nicaragua people. The invasion of Panama, just prior to the elections, also served to send a stern warning to Nicaragua of what could happen if they choose to re-elect the Sandinistas.
Not surprisingly, the UNO Party (a loose coalition of right-wing parties which favoured policies acceptable to the US ) won the 1990 election by a small margin. Upon taking power, the new government quickly began restructuring the economy - reducing public spending in health and education, privatizing public lands and industries, giving credit only to export oriented production, restricting labour rights and returning large land holdings to previous owners. From 1990 to 1996, the Chamorro government followed these policies to restructure the economy. By 1991, infants mortality had risen to 72 per 1000 live births (compared with 61 in 1986). (N.I. July 91, p. 26)
Food production shifted from the local production of rice and beans to a renewed dependency on the exports of beef and coffee. Assistance to the countryside all but ceased, leading to increased levels of urban migration and a proliferation of urban slums as thousands of poor families abandoned the land in search of survival.
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POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC REALITIES
Although the first few years of the Sandinistas were marked by tremendous progress, over the last 15 years, Nicaragua has steadily lost ground on all fronts. In large part, this has been due to the trade embargo, the Contra war, and the country's huge foreign debt. In addition, government policies over the last ten years have failed to promote an equal distribution of wealth within the country and have not encouraged local development. Although the civil war has officially ended, citizens are now facing immense problems of unemployment, violent crime, and drug abuse. Labour rights throughout Central America have deteriorated as free-trade zones have developed and now employ young women at low wage levels with few if any benefits.
Approximately 50 percent of the population live in poverty and 19 percent live in extreme poverty. Almost half of the population lacks access to safe water, illiteracy is still high, and there is a whole generation that was unable to attend school or saw its education interrupted by the war (World Bank).
Foreign investment has been entering the economy, but is directed primarily at the wealthy 5% minority in the form of new shopping centres that carry the very best of imported luxury goods. The gap in income between the rich and the poor in Nicaragua is enormous. The wealthiest 10% of the population now receives 45% of the country's income, while 20 % of the poorest population consumes 2.3 % of the national income (UNICEF, no date.off their web page). The macro economic policies adopted by the government have boosted economic growth, but this has not translated into greater economic or social well-being for the majority. Government responsibility to ensure a fair distribution of income has been neglected.
Progress has continued to be hampered by the enormous foreign debt which stands at US$ 6.3 billion (1998) - three times the country's GDP. Nicaragua has the highest debt per capita in the world and debt servicing alone cost US$ 562 million in 2000, roughly half of all export earnings. (UNICEF) Nicaragua received $928 million in ODA (official development assistance in 2001 (UNICEF). The ongoing obligation to service the debt requires 20% of the governments total expenditures compared to 13% spent on health and 15% on education. (UNICEF, 2001) Annual per capita spending on health declined from US$35. in 1980 to US$14. in 1995. (World Food Program, 1996)
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Nicaragua is now one of the poorest countries in the Western hemisphere. It is the third poorest country in Latin America (UNICEF, no date). With a Per Capita Gross National Product (GNP) of US$453 (UNICEF, 2003), it is just slightly higher than that of Haiti. The children and families of Nicaragua live under very difficult conditions and circumstances. Over 2 million Nicaraguans are living in poverty. A shocking 82% of the population is living on less than $1 a day and 20,6% of the entire population are living below the national poverty line (UNICEF, 2001). The ability to secure three meals a day is a luxury for the majority of the population who struggle to find work in a country where unemployment and underemployment averages about 50%. (UNICEF and World Bank)
The infant mortality rate is 41per 1000 live births and 32 for infants under 1 year old. 29% of the population is undernourished (UNDP). 35% of children under 5 years show signs of malnutrition (Civil Co-ordinator for Emergency & Reconstruction, May, 1999). This percentage rises even higher in the Atlantic Coast region where 40% of the population suffer chronic malnutrition. Life expectancy is only 69 years of age, one of the lowest in the region. (UNICEF, 2002). The maternal mortality rate is drastically high at 150 per 100, 000 live births (UNICEF).
Access to safe drinking water is only available to 77% of the population while only 31% have access to adequate sanitation facilities (UNDP). The national illiteracy rate is 24.5% and rises to 55% in the rural zones. (CCER, May/99) The adult literacy rate is only 64 (UNICEF, 2000). These extreme conditions of poverty are accompanied by an equally dismal social situation. General delinquency has increased over the last decade since the official cessation of civil conflict and family disintegration has given rise to a very high rate of teen pregnancies. This reality has placed more and more young women and their children in precarious economic and social situations. (UNICEF's Progress of Nations, 1998)
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HURRICANE MITCH
During the week of October 27th 1998, Hurricane Mitch descended upon Central America with a fury. Officials stated that the destruction to local infrastructure set Nicaragua and Honduras back 30 years.
The environmental and social disaster was further compounded in the North of Nicaragua where antipersonnel land mines (estimated to number around 100,000), planted by the Contras and Sandinistas in the 1980s, were displaced in the mud slides. Post-Mitch, land-mines are now turning up in uncharted areas and posing a horrible threat to communities of the North. Hundreds of people have been injured or killed by hidden land-mines. Children in particular are at risk as they are often assigned the task of venturing off into the woods to collect firewood for cooking.
NGOs rallied during the Mitch disaster, providing much-needed assistance to the victims.
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 THE SITUATION FOR CHILDREN
Although social and demographic indicators have been improving, this recovery proves to be a very slow process. The population living in poverty has fallen since the 1990s from 50.3 percent in 1993 to 45.8 percent in 2001, while the prevalence of extreme poverty fell from 19.4 percent to 15.1 percent during the same time frame (World Bank, no date).
Nicaragua signed and ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1990. Overall, the Committee on the Rights of the Child was pleased that the Nicaraguan government had targeted children as a focus of concern on its social development agenda, and that local governments were allocating new funds towards education. The national government reported to the Committee that it was exploring the possibility of amending the Constitution to include a provision that would make the Convention law in Nicaragua. Nevertheless, the Committee noted serious problems with the status of the Convention in Nicaragua, and the real problems of poverty affecting the country's children. The following are just some of the major problems:
- Poverty, which so many children experience, and the detrimental effects on their development.
- One of every three children have some degree of chronic malnutrition (UNICEF and World Bank).
- The high percentage of single-mothers and teen pregnancies along with a growing trend in delinquency, child prostitution, family violence, child abandonment, drug-taking, etc.
- Approximately 7,000 children under 5 die every year. (UNICEF, 2002)
- The growing number of children engaged in informal employment instead of going to school. UNICEF estimates that almost 366,000 children (16% of those aged 6 to 18) work the informal sector in the rural and urban areas. (UNICEF 1993) Only 55% of children enrolled in school successfully reach grade 5, and less than 47% ever enrol in secondary school (UNICEF, 2002).
- It takes an average of 10.3 years to complete six years of schooling and only 29% of children complete primary school (UNICEF and World Bank).
- 8% of children under 5 are moderately or severely underweight (UNICEF, 2002).
- Health Education and social programs are severly underfunded. Existing services are limited and of poor quality.
In 2002, Nicaragua finally got a glimpse of its economy starting to recover after the new government implemented a policy focused on sustainability. Nicaragua has also increased its share of public spending devoted to poverty reduction programs. These are positive signs for the future of impoverished children and families, but must be backed up with consistent government support and substantial foreign assistance.
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