MP Loubna Sghiri, member of the Progress and Socialism (PPS) group in the House of Representatives, sent a written question to the Minister of Solidarity, Social Integration and Family on the subject of improving conditions of street children.
In her question, the MP underlined that the phenomenon of street children in the Casablanca-Settat region in general, and in the Derb Sultan district in particular, has become a major concern for Moroccan society in recent years. Thousands of children, aged 5 to 16, find themselves forced to live on the streets as their last refuge.
The MP explained that hundreds of children wander along the streets, taking refuge under parked vehicles, in abandoned houses, near restaurants or in public parks. They sleep on the ground, without shelter or a fixed abode.
She also noted that this phenomenon is no longer limited to boys only, but also affects girls, which means that in the future, children will likely be born on the streets. This situation gives rise to deviant behavior, various types of crimes, violence, sexual harassment and rape, both among girls and boys. Added to this are health problems linked to lack of hygiene, infections and the use of injecting drugs shared between several children, promoting the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.
The MP insisted on the fact that these street children often find themselves confronted with numerous psychological problems. No one listens to them or cares about their fate, which makes them easy prey to material and sexual exploitation. They can be easily drawn into the world of crime in all its forms. These children are the victims of relentless social and economic factors, which have left them with no alternative to the difficult conditions they endure, she said.
Finally, Loubna Sghiri questioned the minister on the measures and actions that the ministry is planning, in coordination with the sectors and institutions concerned, to reduce this phenomenon.
She asked what initiatives will be put in place to take care of these children, accommodate them and reintegrate them into society in order to offer them a new life that preserves their dignity and guarantees them their fundamental right to a dignified and decent life.
