Report: Numbers of Homeless Israeli Female Teenagers Soar

The number of teenage girls living on Israel's streets has dramatically increased in the last three years and preventing the young women from being sucked into the sex industry is an extremely difficult task, according to the annual report published Tuesday by non-profit organization Elem, which helps youth at risk through a variety of programs.

More than 25% of all homeless youth in 2007 were girls, found the report, compared to 15% in 2004.

In general, the report pointed to a 5% rise in 2007 in the number of youths either homeless or wandering Israel's streets late at night while their parents worked or due to strained relations at home.

The organization estimated that in 2007 it provided programs or temporary shelter to roughly 32,000 youths in some 30 locations countrywide, with some of the children being as young as 10.

"Elem cannot deal with this problem by itself," Tzion Gabai, the organization's director, told Israeli daily Post. "We are the voice of troubled Israeli youth and will raise awareness to the plight of youth at risk, but this is an issue for all of Israeli society."

The report, which was presented Tuesday to Minister of Welfare and Social Services Isaac Herzog, was released in time for the launch of Elem's annual fundraising campaign.

Gabai said that three main issues were raised by this year's report: the fall in age of those found roaming the streets at night; the large proportion of transient immigrant youth and the rise in the number of teenage girls living on the streets.

"We are talking about girls aged 17-25 who, because they have nowhere to sleep will go home with a man just so they have a roof over their heads," explained Gabai, highlighting that 99% of young homeless females are eventually drawn into the sex industry.

"There is a real problem in locating homeless teenage girls," stated the report. "Many of them are picked up by men who take advantage of them, making them sell their bodies in order to survive. That means that in many cases the girls cannot be found out on the streets at night but often find shelter in the outlets of the sex industry."

With regards to the young age of those often found on the streets at night, Gabai said that in recent years it had fallen to as young as 10. Thirty-seven percent of those treated by Elem last year were under the age of 16, with 10% of those found out on the streets being between the ages of 10-14.

"In many cases, older siblings are left in charge and they go out on the streets taking their [brothers and sisters] with them," observed Gabai.

The report also found that nearly half of those loitering late at night were new immigrant's teens, with almost a quarter of those being from the Ethiopian community.

"These are classic symptoms of families dealing with immigration issues," he said. "In many cases, the parents have to work long hours or two jobs and the children are left alone with no one to care for them or bring them food."

The data for the report is based on information collected by the organization's social workers and volunteers.