Tackling Childhood Poverty in Central and East Asia: Donor Approaches in Krygyzstan and Mongolia

Summary

This report examines donor approaches to tackling childhood poverty in Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia. Both the scale and nature of childhood poverty, and the significance of aid for poverty reduction in both countries, mean that the ways in which donors view and address childhood poverty have important implications for progress in reducing poverty among children and young people. Both countries are poor in natural resources and emphasise economic growth and trade openness as key development strategies and vital means of tackling poverty. Both countries have developed poverty reduction strategy papers (PRSPs) in recent years and have adopted poverty reduction focused policies. They both have large external debts; this is a particular issue for Kyrgyzstan, and places limits on the extent to which public expenditure can be used to tackle poverty.