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Statistics regarding Russia's orphaned youth are so high that the level of displacement may be compared to that of wartime. While World War II left 600,000 children parentless, recent poverty and social crises have effectively orphaned more than 700,000, as their parents went to prison, succumbed to substance abuse, or otherwise became incapable of providing a home. Not all orphaned children become homeless; roughly 200,000 live in an under-funded and harsh system of orphanages. But many do live on the streets: Roughly 30,000 live in Moscow alone, facing police harassment as they scratch out a living in metro stations and similar haunts. Fully 80 percent are likely to become substance abusers, criminals, or both. Only 10 percent continue on to lead normal lives, and an equal number commit suicide.
Photo: Valery Bushukhin/Itar-Tass
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