Title: Amid Global Crises, Children Desperately Need a New Safety Net
Introduction
As the world grapples with a multitude of crises, from armed conflicts to the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change, it is the children who suffer the most. Growing up in poverty, without proper care and protection, they face immense challenges that hinder their development. In the face of these overwhelming challenges, it is crucial to establish a new safety net for our children, leaving no one behind.
The Impact on Children
With over 1 billion children worldwide living in poverty, lacking access to essential resources such as healthcare, education, and adequate nutrition, the polycrisis has only exacerbated their plight. Shockingly, over 2.4 billion children still require proper social protection, facing inequality, exclusion, and deprivation.
The COVID-19 pandemic has further intensified these historic disadvantages. By May 2022, approximately 10.5 million children had lost their caregivers, leaving them vulnerable to trauma and greater hardships. Meanwhile, armed conflicts in various regions have exposed children to severe malnutrition, trauma, neglect, and abandonment. For instance, in Ukraine, over 17 million people, a quarter of whom are children, require humanitarian assistance. Sudan, too, faces a dire situation, with over 13 million children needing emergency aid.
The Impact of Climate Change and Cost-of-Living Crises
The devastating impact of climate change and the cost-of-living crises is also disproportionately burdening children and young people. In the Horn of Africa, where changing climatic conditions have led to crippling droughts and flooding, around 7 million children under the age of five suffer from malnutrition. Economic insecurity and other factors have also made children account for 40 percent of the approximately 108 million people forcibly displaced worldwide, with more than 150,000 unaccompanied children at risk of trafficking or abuse.
Building a New Safety Net
To address this complex polycrisis and protect our children, urgent and integrated action is required. This includes going beyond meeting their basic needs and providing a comprehensive approach that breaks the cycle of deprivation. Increasing investments in social protection, such as universal child benefits, can significantly reduce child poverty, with estimates showing that a 1 percent increase in GDP allocation can lead to a 20 percent reduction.
Collaboration is key to mitigating the impact of the polycrisis. Strong partnerships between governments, nonprofit service providers, and technical experts are essential to ensuring a child-centric response. Institutions providing family support programs, along with those focusing on education, health, and psychosocial services in vulnerable regions, must work together to create a safety net that truly prioritizes children’s well-being.
Investing in children and providing them with secure and nurturing environments is not just the right thing to do; it is also an investment in our shared and sustainable future. By supporting children and addressing their vulnerabilities, we can help them reach their full potential and contribute to long-term economic growth. Initiatives like Ethiopia’s Productive Safety Net Program, which trains young people in green agricultural jobs, illustrate the potential for building resilient livelihoods.
Conclusion
Every child, regardless of their circumstances, deserves a nurturing environment and the opportunity to enjoy their rights fully. As the global polycrisis threatens the progress made in recent decades, it is crucial to establish strong, inclusive, and integrated social safety nets. By doing so, we can protect children’s universal rights and reduce their chronic vulnerabilities. Let us prioritize our children and secure their future by providing the support and safety nets they so desperately need.
Disclaimer: The information in this article is based on the provided news and does not represent the views or opinions of any other parties.
