A joint team of Metropolitan Police Range, National Centre for Children at Risk and Sober Recovery Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre has rescued and rehabilitated 31 street children.

According to police, they were rescued from Gaushala and Thamel areas yesterday and rehabilitated in Jorpati-based Sober Recovery Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre. Most of the kids were under the influence when rescued. With this, the number of street children rescued so far this fiscal has reached 122.

Almost all street children rescued so far are found to be abusing drugs and are from districts other than Kathmandu valley. According to Central Child Welfare Board under the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens, there are around 5,000 street children all over Nepal. It is estimated that the number of street children is approximately 1,200 in the valley alone.

Seventy-five per cent street boys in Kathmandu are victims of sexual abuse at the hands of foreigners, locals and their peers.

The main reasons for their migration, which finally forces them to end up in streets, are family violence, peer influence, family’s financial condition and family disintegration.

A CCWB report said street children were among the high risk groups and were vulnerable to exploitation and abuses. They are also exposed to alcohol, drugs and tobacco. They find alcohol and drugs as a solution to all their worries. Some of the dangers they face are violence, drug addiction, intimidation by gangs, health problems, delinquency, criminality, alcoholism, starvation and lack of self-esteem.