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Rwanda Why children in Rwanda need your helpRwanda's civil war, which lead to the killing of almost one million Hutus, and moderate Tutsis, in 1994 has had a profound impact on the lives of children in Rwanda. Thousands of children have been made orphans as a result, and many households are now headed by children.
Poverty levels are now higher as a result of the internal upheaval, and the majority of the population must survive on subsistence agriculture, with 80 per cent of the population surviving on less than $2 a day. Country factsEven prior to gaining independence from Belgium, Rwanda's internal politics have been beset by ethnic tensions between the Tutsis and majority Hutus, with thousands massacred in both groups, and culminating in the genocide in 1994. The Rwanda government is now striving to improve economic standards, under the leadership of Paul Kagame and the Tutsi-lead Rwandan Patriotic Front. However, Rwanda's recent involvement in warfare with neighbouring DRC Conga, resulting in high defence expenditure, and continuing ethnic tensions internally, continue to hamper progress. Coffee and tea remain the country's most significant exports, but Rwanda remains reliant on support from overseas aid organisations.
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As one of the most
populated countries in Africa, Rwanda also has an extremely high
infant and maternity mortality rate, and around a quarter of all
children suffer from malnutrition. Diarrhoea, respiratory
infections and malaria also result in a high number of child
deaths.
