A new study suggests that, by the end of 2020, the number of children in poor families across low and middle-income countries could surge by 86 million owing to the economic impact of COVID-19.
A whopping 5,695,290 people have so far been infected by the deadly virus, while 355,692 lives have been lost to the disease worldwide, as per an estimate by the Johns Hopkins University. The study underlined that without imperative action to defend households from the financial privations caused by the deadly virus, the total number of children living in poor countries could reach 672 million by the end of the year.UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said that the pandemic has caused an extraordinary socio-economic crisis that is creating a number of problems for families all over the globe. The study warned that the effect of the global financial crisis triggered by the pandemic and related containment policies is two-fold: instant loss of income meant households are unable to afford the bare essentials, including food and water, less likely to access health care or education, and are more vulnerable to child marriage, violence, manipulation and exploitation.
The situation triggered by the coronavirus pandemic is cause for serious concern for the world organizations. It’s time solid strategies are formulated to protect millions of children from slipping into the deep pit of hunger, squalor, and illiteracy.