Corona Impacts Economies: Poverty To Engulf 672 Million Children By 2020-End, Says Report

New Delhi: The coronavirus pandemic has halted the world economy pushing many households into distressing circumstances.

Amid the financial hardship across the globe, child poverty especially in low and middle-income countries could witness a surge of 15 per cent.

This is likely to deprive about 86 million children of essential services leaving a total of 672 million people below poverty line, a study conducted by the UNICEF and humanitarian organisation Save the Children suggested.

“Children are highly vulnerable to even short periods of hunger and malnutrition – potentially affecting them for their whole life. If we act now and decisively, we can prevent and contain the pandemic threat facing the poorest countries and some of the most vulnerable children,” Save the Children International CEO Inger Ashing told India Today.

“This report should be a wake-up call for the world. Poverty is not inevitable for children,” he added.

Given this unprecedented situation, this has been the sharpest increase in the child poverty rate in decades. With no access to food, water, healthcare, education, and other basic needs, the children are more vulnerable to child marriage, violence, exploitation and abuse, the study further added.

Notably, countries across Europe and Central Asia could witness up to 44 per cent increase in child poverty while over 22 per cent children could be impacted in Latin America and the Caribbean, it said.

Also Read: Corona Crisis To Push 120 Million Indians Into Poverty Leaving 135 Million Unemployed: Reports