Honduras
Honduras is situated in Central America, bordering Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua, and has around 7.1 million inhabitants. With nearly 70% of families living in poverty, Honduras is one of the poorest and least developed countries in Latin America.
A history of military rule, corruption and devastating natural disasters has severely limited the development of the country's infrastructure and economy. After a period of relative political stability, Honduran President Manuel Zelaya was overthrown in a coup d'etat in June. There is also great inequality in the distribution of wealth.
Much of the population is dependent on agriculture for its livelihood and consequently, the fall in prices of coffee and bananas, the major exports, and damage caused by the devastating Hurricane Mitch, have had disastrous effects. High unemployment and general poverty have also contributed to the rise in drug trafficking.
In areas of rural poverty, children are especially vulnerable to disease and the debilitating illness known as Chagas, as well as dengue fever, severe respiratory infection and diarrhoea. HIV/AIDS is an escalating problem and Honduras now has 60% of the cases of infection in Central America.
Some of the reasons why Plan works in Honduras
- More than a quarter of children suffer from stunted growth due to poor nutrition
- Nearly 4,000 children under the age of 14 are living with HIV
- A total of 384,832 children and adolescents aged between 5 and 18 years work
- Half of the rural population do not have access to adequate sanitation facilities
- Nearly a fifth of the rural population do not have access to an adequate water source
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