Argentina's child poverty rate on track to hit 70%, UNICEF warns

FILE PHOTO: A girl, 9, fills a bottle with a hose to bring drinking water to her home, in Villa Fiorito, a working-class neighborhood on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, Argentina February 27, 2024. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian/File Photo

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Argentina's child poverty rate could hit 70% in the first quarter of the year unless there is a change in course, UNICEF warned in a report on Tuesday, reflecting how high inflation, weakening growth and austerity is hitting the country hard.

In a report, the UN Children's Fund said the poverty rate was rising fast from 57% at the end of last year. Those in extreme poverty could reach 34% up from 19.4%, the agency added, calling for more spending to protect the livelihood of children.