Increasing Number of Abandoned Children in Greece

The current crisis in Greece has not only caused financial problems but social ones as well. The number of homeless people has increased and the rates of suicides is rising. Another phenomenon currently on the rise is the abandonment of children and babies. According to an extensive Washington Post article, the number of children left outside churches, hospitals and charity centers, is increasing since many Greek parents can’t afford the cost of raising a child. “Either deserted at maternity wards days after their birth, bundled inside pillowcases, or packed in cardboard boxes dumped on the doorsteps of churches, clinics and charity centers, abandoned babies are turning up all over the country,” says the article, adding that the Greek Health Minister, Adonis Georgiadis has reported that the number of deserted infants has increased by 336% since the start of the crisis. The article also mentions that state orphanages can’t provide proper care to children due to their soaring number and budget cuts. Many of them are neglected and malnourished. In the past, most of abandoned children came from abuse or drug-addicted families. “Now the scope of the problem, the severity of the cases, and the lack of social services have been amplified by austerity and growing middle-class poverty,” marks the article. Stelios Sifnos, Director of Social Work and Research at the SOS Children’s Villages charity, said to Washington Post: “It is the most tragic human consequence of the financial crisis. There is urgent need for action.”

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com