World Bank announces plans to
help Roma
Date: Monday, January 31, 2005 9:08:42 PM
EST
WASHINGTON, Jan. 31 (UPI) -- World leaders will
meet Wednesday in Bulgaria to begin the first international support program to
aid Roma, the Washington-based World Bank announced Monday.
Roma, Europe's most vulnerable region, represents
nearly 2 percent of the 450 million people who live in the European Union. Roma
includes Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro.
The poverty rate in Roma is four to 10 times
higher than in non-Roma nations and nearly 40 percent of citizens in Romania and
Bulgaria live on less than $2.15 a day.
Leaders meeting Wednesday in Sofia plan to
introduce a recovery program called the Decade of Roma Inclusion, which will
help to alleviate poverty levels, grant greater access to education, labor
markets, social and health services.
"It is one of the great moral issues facing Europe
today," said James Wolfensohn, World Bank president. "If we do nothing, we will
see continued disaffection and suffering. If we succeed, the decade offers an
opportunity to turn the tide of history and harness the political will to
include the Roma as full citizens in European societies."
Each country is expected to make improvements in
four identified areas, including education, employment, health and
housing.
Copyright 2005 by United Press
International
Vali
EuroAtlantic Club: http://www.europe.org.ro/euroatlantic_club/
***
Birou de traduceri autorizate. Oana Gheorghiu - tel/fax: 252.8681 / [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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