SEATTLE, Washington — Although COVID-19 appears to present more risk to the elderly population, the aftermath of the pandemic may largely impact children as they lose access to education and their families struggle with job insecurity. Climate activist Greta Thunberg recognized this threat and partnered with the NGO Human Act Foundation to create a children’s rights campaign through the United Nations Children’s Fund. Thunberg’s campaign will help vulnerable children during the COVID-19 pandemic and raise awareness for the cause.
Greta Thunberg’s UNICEF Campaign
Greta Thunberg, a 17-year-old climate activist, rose to fame in 2018. A high school student herself, Thunberg founded the Schools Strike for Climate movement which became a global movement for students. Since then, Thunberg attended the 2018 U.N. Climate Change Conference and the 2019 U.N. Climate Action Summit. Her activism earned her two Nobel Peace Prize nominations and recognition as Time’s youngest Person of the Year in 2019.
However, Thunberg’s activism doesn’t stop at climate action. In light of COVID-19 related threats to children’s lives, Greta Thunberg took it upon herself to launch a children’s rights campaign. Human Act recently granted the Greta Thunberg Foundation $100,000 for her activism. Thunberg donated the money to the UNICEF campaign, which Human Act matched with another $100,000.
Thunberg’s campaign hopes to aid children during the pandemic, including providing families in remote areas with internet access so students can continue their education. UNICEF is also working to support vulnerable children amid the coronavirus pandemic with widespread healthcare and social services in more than 190 countries.
According to UNICEF, lack of funding to support children will result in 6,000 more child deaths every day. That equates to more than four children dying every minute.
Thunberg is not alone in her fight to protect vulnerable children during the COVID-19 pandemic. International actress and
UNICEF global ambassador Priyanka Chopra voiced her support for Thunberg’s campaign on Twitter. Chopra emphasized the need to protect this population as COVID-19 continues to rampage the world, asking her followers and fans to do the same.
The Child Crisis
According to the Human Rights Watch, more than 1.5 billion children are out of school because of COVID-19. This crisis illuminated problems in the education system with students’ socioeconomic differences in having access to a computer and internet at home.
In countries without widespread internet access, the continuation of education is virtually impossible for vulnerable children during the coronavirus pandemic.
For low-income parents, loss of jobs and income adds stress to an already stressful situation.
Children will be at risk of domestic violence and abuse, child labor, sexual exploitation and child marriage as families continue to lose income.
The largest impact of COVID-19 is the horrendous death toll across the globe. These deaths will leave many children orphaned and vulnerable to trafficking, child labor and other exploitations. Older students will likely drop out of school to care for their younger siblings, forfeiting their chances at higher education.
For children detained in the justice system or living in refugee and migrant camps, overcrowded shelters and unsanitary conditions leave them with an increased risk of infection. These living conditions spread sickness unrelated to COVID-19, but as the pandemic continues overwhelming hospitals these children will not receive the medical attention they need.
COVID-19 poses a threat to the entire global population and even as countries begin to reopen, the pandemic’s effects continue to harm underprivileged children. Thunberg’s campaign is aiming to make a difference in those children’s lives because, like Thunberg herself said, young people are the world’s future.
– Kiyomi Kishaba
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
