COVID-19 could push 68 million children deeper into poverty by 2020 end: Study

UNITED NATIONS: The Covid-19 pandemic is one of the most widespread the world has ever faced. So much so, it has affected all spheres of public and private life. According to a new study by UNICEF and humanitarian organisation ‘Save the Children’, the total number of children living in poor households across low and middle-income countries could increase by 86 million to reach a total of 672 million by the end of 2020. The economic fallout due to the spread of the pandemic will be responsible for the increase.

The analysis pointed out that immediate action by governments across the globe could ensure that these children are saved from being pushed deeper into the pit of poverty. However, not all countries have the resources or the will to act on such an issue. Of the 672 million children estimated to be living in poor households by the end of 2020, nearly two-thirds are in sub-Saharan Africa. South Asia and countries across Europe and Central Asia could, however, see the most drastic increase, up to 44 per cent across the region. A 22 per cent increase can be seen in Latin America and the Caribbean.

In a statement, Henrietta Fore, Executive Director, UNICEF, said, “The coronavirus pandemic has triggered an unprecedented socio-economic crisis that is draining resources for families all over the world.” This increase in the overall poverty of children across the world will roll back decades of progress made on reducing poverty and improving their overall condition. Not only this, it will also increase chances of children dying from hunger and malnutirition, along with other widespread communicable diseases, due to lack of access to healthcare triggered by their newfound poverty.

Inger Ashing, CEO, Save the Children International, said the “shocking poverty impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic will hit children hard.” She further explained that since the children will be pushed to poverty, their family’s ability to procure basic necessities of life like food will also wither away. With no income and no food, children will be at an extremely higher risk of losing their lives. In order to address and mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on children in poor households, Save the Children and the UNICEF call for rapid and large-scale expansion of social protection systems and programmes including cash transfers, school feeding, and child benefits – all critical investments that address immediate financial needs and lay the foundation for countries to prepare for future shocks.