BANGKOK—Malnutrition remains a major problem among children in Laos, with those in rural areas suffering most and less likely to attend school as a result, Lao officials and international sources say.
In December, Laos adopted its first national nutrition policy in a bid to address chronic hunger, with involvement from 15 government ministries and institutions. Officials held a four-day workshop on nutrition and hunger earlier this month, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Somsavat Lengsavad. In the remote southern province of Attapeu, the problem is especially acute, one provincial health official said recently. “Especially in rural areas, there is simply no food to eat,” Attapeu health department director Bountem Sangsomsack said. “People have nothing to eat, so they eat whatever they have,” the official said, adding that the little available food lacks nutrition. “Children in rural areas are old in age, but physically they’re not strong.” International aid that provides free lunches to children in rural areas is helping, he said.
“I think this program is productive in many ways,” the second official said. “Having no food at lunch is a problem especially for the ethnic [minority] children. If they have foods for the day they may be more willing to go to school.” A Lao doctor and member of the National Assembly recently raised the issue in parliament. In 1993, he said, malnutrition affected 47.3 percent of Lao children under age five, dropping only to 40.7 percent in 2000 and 40.4 percent in 2006. “It’s unchanged,” he said. “By international standards, this problem is critical. They aren’t getting enough calories in their food. If this continues, it means that our economic development isn’t reaching outside the cities. There are still big problems in rural areas.” ‘Alarming’ levels of hunger
The U.N. World Food Programme (WFP) regards the food situation in Laos—one of the world’s poorest, least developed countries—as “alarming,” and it notes that some 85 percent of Laos’s 5.6 million people live in remote rural areas. Benchmark indices of human development such as health and literacy are significantly lower among people in rural areas. Chronic malnutrition causes mental as well as physical impairment. “Food insecurity is widespread throughout the country, and it is estimated that 30 percent of the population has insufficient food for more than six months of the year,” the WFP says. “Chronic malnutrition is high, affecting more than 40 percent of children under five years of age.” The WFP works with the Lao Education Ministry to provide free snacks and lunches to rural schoolchildren, and girls are given rations of canned fish and rice to take home as an incentive for parents to send their daughters to school. U.N. chief’s visit U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon recently became the first U.N. chief in decades to pay an official visit to Laos, saying he hoped Laos would meet its target of emerging from the ranks of least developed countries by 2020. Ban cited “constant improvements in health, education, standards of living," but he also cited prevalent poverty, growing economic disparities, and chronic malnutrition as major problems. Ban was visiting Laos ahead of publication of a U.N. Millennium Goals report, which monitors a country's progress in overcoming poverty. Laos has seen poverty fall from 46 percent to 33 percent from 1992-2002, well on its way to reducing poverty by half, as foreseen by the Millennium Goals. But 40 percent of children under five still suffer from chronic malnutrition, the report said. UNICEF warned last year that infant death rates remain critical in Burma, Laos, and Cambodia, citing malnutrition and contaminated drinking water as major causes. According to UNICEF figures, 9.7 million children around the world died last year before their fifth birthday, with the Asia-Pacific region accounting for about half of them. In its most recent report on human rights around the world, the U.S State Department said that while Laos "has made children's education and health care a priority in its economic planning, funding for children's basic health and educational needs remained inadequate, and the country had a very high rate of infant and child mortality." School is free and compulsory through the fifth grade, it said, but high fees for books and a shortage of teachers in rural areas prevent many children from attending school, while trafficking in girls for prostitution and forced labor remains a problem.
Original reporting by Manichan Phimphachanh for RFA's Lao service. Service director: Viengsay Luangkhot. Executive producer: Susan Lavery. Written and produced in English by Sarah Jackson-Han.
Children sit on the stairs of a house at the Sop On resettlement village in Laos' Nakai plateau, June 28, 2007. AFP
Funny a handful of Laonai in this website would tell us they are happy you can critisise the government. i don't think they care about the rest of people in Laos. they have nice life but what about million of cititizens. some laonai are lucky go abroad to study and they would defend the government always right.
we can establish samakomlao group and donate some money to buy food for our children there are more than 400 members here, each 1$ will be a little helping the children, what u think?
IF YOU WANT TO HELP DON`T TALK JUST SEND MONEY I ALREADY SEND $ 100 TO LAOS
How do we know you sent the money?
Yeah, how do we know? You probaby did send money to Laos, but it could be to your mia noi . I sent money to Laos too, almost every month, but they were for my family.
I SPOKE ABOUT THIS MANY TIMES WITH MANY LAO FRIENDS IN CALIFORNIA, WE REALLY WANT TO HELP REALLY BUT I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHO ? WHERE DO WE SEND THE MONEY TO OR WHO ARE THE PERSON THAT WE CAN TRUST TO RECEIVED THE MONEY AND USE THAT MONEY TO HELP OUR CHILDREN, CAN SOME ONE TELL ME PLEASE??????
I'm sorry, Laoman but I think you would have to do the job by yourself because be sure that the money collected will never reach the poor children if you send it to some governmental organizations, the money would be for the other use instead of helping poor children... hmm... maybe you could ask some NGO's settled in Laos to do the job for you cos' they are reputable for their sincerity and their honesty... Regards.
BANGKOK—Malnutrition remains a major problem among children in Laos, with those in rural areas suffering most and less likely to attend school as a result, Lao officials and international sources say.
It is heartbreaking to see those destitute children facing the same dilemma in their daily life. Some may never make it to middle school. I wonder though if Laotian governments would be more susceptible to the incessant poverty or to the outside pressure; otherwise, they could have done more.It is unthinkable and painful to learn that 40% of our children under five still suffer from chronic malnutrition. As I had mentioned before, Lao people never demand much from their leaders throughout history and it is the underlying fact that Laotians are easy to govern because, culturally, traditionally, they are humble. Innately, our people believe in submissiveness and gratefulness to their bureaucrats---no question asked.
The situation will get worse as food crisis will spread throughout developing countries unless the governments act according to their diagnosis of the problem. It is essential to have some kind of safety nets and public distribution system in place to avoid pervasive hunger in Laos especially in the remote areas. The Lao government should temporarily prohibit any export of rice to other countries and encourage the locals to grow more crops by granting them some subsidy within our own means. In addition, the government needs to methodically draw up national policies involving the management of stocks and pricing, which will limit the volatility of food prices. Can we imagine how much it would cost during the scarcity of food without price control?
Also, if there is inadequate investment in agriculture or no subsidy to our farmers at all, it would be a hard-press to overcome this obstacle. Laos actually has been in a better position than many nations. For instance, there is no internal conflict, civil strife or a large scale displacement of people for years. The only concern would be natural disasters like droughts, floods or manmade disasters like certain dams which I hope not.
IF YOU WANT TO HELP DON`T TALK JUST SEND MONEY I ALREADY SEND $ 100 TO LAOS
How do we know you sent the money?
Yeah, how do we know? You probaby did send money to Laos, but it could be to your mia noi . I sent money to Laos too, almost every month, but they were for my family.
yeah how do we know you send money to laos and who do you send to? these kids sitting on the stairs? or did you send it to your mistress?
i heard Kuwait investor will invest in laos, they are planing to grow the rice and export to Kuwait, so our people who are poor will get a chance and work as farmer..
ok I am going to laos this summer this july is anyone want to danate ? let me know I will take money to the poor kids and poor family , I am serious i will not give to mia noi ok or sao lao trust me
ok I am going to laos this summer this july is anyone want to danate ? let me know I will take money to the poor kids and poor family , I am serious i will not give to mia noi ok or sao lao trust me
hahaha....you're funny man. I'm not going to question your intention because you might really are being honest. I like that but it's going to be hard for people here to trust you.
. I sent money to Laos too, almost every month, but they were for my family. 
