October 1 ------ The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has urged countries across the world to work together and build a stronger commitment to protect children from the threats posed by the global pandemic. On the 30th anniversary of the World Summit for Children, UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said that this is an opportunity to celebrate the huge gains for the past three decades but also a reminder of how the COVID-19 pandemic has turned back the clock.
Fore said for the past three decades of the landmark meeting, there have been impressive gains for children “as more and more are living longer, better, and healthier lives.” However, the UNICEF executive director underscored that problems are continuing to rise, including the COVID-19 pandemic, which greatly affected the children. “Yet the odds continue to be stacked against the poorest and most vulnerable. In addition to the persistent challenges of health, nutrition and education, hard-won gains to protect and advance children’s rights are being threatened by ongoing issues such as inequality, climate change, raging conflicts and, now more critically, the COVID-19 crisis,” Fore said in a statement on Tuesday.
According to Fore, the number of children living in multidimensional poverty has soared by 15 percent to approximately 1.2 billion worldwide due to the current pandemic. She noted that at least 24 million children are at risk of dropping out of school. “Thousands of children could die every day if the pandemic continues to weaken health systems and disrupt routine services. Restricted movement and school closures have also cut children off from teachers, friends and communities leaving them at increased risk of violence, abuse and exploitation,” she said.
Fore has called the communities to act now for it can cause irreversible damage to the social and development learning and behavior of an entire generation. She added that it could also reverse the advances made for the past three decades. “Now more than ever, countries and communities around the world must work together to address the crises affecting children with stronger commitment to ending conflict and with increased investments in children,” Fore said. “What the world looks like for children and young people tomorrow is our collective responsibility today,” she added.
Source: mb.com.ph