Broken families, poverty and domestic violence are just some of the reasons that drive children out of their homes to escape abusive, abnormal behavior, hunger and other hurts. Mahmood was forced to leave his home at the age of 9 and has been living in the streets of Cairo ever since. Cairo, 2006.

Once on the street, children are easy prey for yet more violence and criminality, like the theft of hard-win savings and sexual victimization. Mohammed, Ali and Hussein. Cairo, 2006.

Health problems and substance abuse are particular dangers along with an understandable inability to cope and a tragic lack of attachment. These in turn are compounded by yet more rejection from community disapproval and police harassment. Hassan and Mahmood sniff glue in front of by-passers in downtown Cairo. Cairo, 2006.

Street children need prompt, effective interventions, if not to bring them back to their homes, then at least to lessen their suffering from street life. With nothing to do, Ibrahim spends time outside a mosque in Sayyida Zeinab. Cairo, 2006.

To survive in this urban jungle, kids better be tough. They are routinely victims of physical abuse. The scars on Ahmed's face are the result of a street fight one year ago. Cairo, 2006.

Fatima, a runaway since the age of 10, walks alone at night in Talaat Harb, one of Cairo's busiest shopping areas. Cairo, 2006.

According to Unicef Egypt, 17 percent of the population in this country live in poverty and millions have trouble meeting basic food needs. This means children are often seen as economic tools rather than right holders who deserve care and proper schooling. Cairo, 2006.

The father moves onto another wife and the woman cannot support herself and her children. The problem of street children in Egypt is not just tied to overall poverty, but a direct result of women not able to provide for a family on their own. If a man leaves, the woman is helpless. The children are a financial burden they simply cannot carry on their own. A baby sleeps by an abandoned sofa while her mother works overtime in the market nearby. Cairo, 2006.

Family break-up is one of the biggest reasons kids end up on the street. Mahdi and Mohammed spend endless hours in the park without talking to eachother. Cairo, 2006.

Broken families, poverty and domestic violence are just some of the reasons that drive children out of their homes to escape abusive, abnormal behavior, hunger and other hurts. Hassan is over 15 years old, and has a hard time making money from begging. Cairo, 2006.

Broken families, poverty and domestic violence are just some of the reasons that drive children out of their homes to escape abusive, abnormal behavior, hunger and other hurts. Ali and Mohammed. Cairo, 2006.

Parks mean shades for those who want to flee Cairo's oppressive heat in the middle of the day, including 15 year-old Ahmed. Cairo, 2006.

Children are made to drop out of school and beg or work long hours on streets and under bridges at an age when children should be learning and playing. Cairo, 2006.

According to Unicef Egypt, 17 percent of the population in this country live in poverty and millions have trouble meeting basic food needs. This means children are often seen as economic tools rather than right holders who deserve care and proper schooling. Cairo, 2006.

According to Unicef Egypt, 17 percent of the population in this country live in poverty and millions have trouble meeting basic food needs. This means children are often seen as economic tools rather than right holders who deserve care and proper schooling. Cairo, 2006.

Fatima enjoys an ice-cream that she got from a by-passer while she was begging in one of Cairo's busiest shopping areas. Cairo, 2006.

Broken families, poverty and domestic violence are just some of the reasons that drive children out of their homes to escape abusive, abnormal behavior, hunger and other hurts. Ali and Mohammed spend time in the park. Cairo, 2006.

The problem of street children in Egypt is not just tied to overall poverty, but a direct result of women not able to provide for a family on their own. If a man leaves, the woman is helpless. The children are a financial burden they simply cannot carry on their own. A child is left playing on his own while his mother is working overtime in the market nearby. Cairo, 2006.

Taking drugs like glue is like a reflex mechanism, it's very freely available. It's the first thing, in many cases, that they buy when they do manage to get a bit of money. Hassan and Mahmood sniff glue in front of by-passers in downtown Cairo. Cairo, 2006.

Broken families, poverty and domestic violence are just some of the reasons that drive children out of their homes to escape abusive, abnormal behavior, hunger and other hurts. Ahmed in the park. Cairo, 2006.

According to Unicef Egypt, 17 percent of the population in this country live in poverty and millions have trouble meeting basic food needs. This means children are often seen as economic tools rather than right holders who deserve care and proper schooling. Cairo, 2006.

The lives of other (luckier) children in Egypt have never had to deal with the consequences of a broken past. Cairo, 2006.