Worst crisis since the war
An additional 6,000 children around the world could die every day from preventable causes over the next six months as the Coronavirus pandemic weakens health systems and disrupts routine services.
We highlight these figures as we launch the biggest ever appeal for children in our 73 year history.
And these projected child deaths would be in addition to the 2.5 million children who already die before their fifth birthday every six months, threatening to reverse nearly a decade of progress on ending preventable child deaths.
This pandemic is having far-reaching consequences for all of us, but it is undoubtedly the biggest and most urgent global crisis children have faced since World War Two.
Children’s lives are being upended across the globe
– their support systems ripped away, their borders closed, their educations lost, their food supply cut off.
Even in the UK, children face the threat of a measles outbreak and school closures are putting vulnerable children at increased risk.
Countries with already weak health systems, Coronavirus is causing disruptions in medical supply chains and straining financial and human resources.
Visits to health care centres are declining due to lockdowns, curfews and transport disruptions, and as communities remain fearful of infection.
In response we have launched “Save Generation Covid”, to help tackle the impact of Coronavirus and support our ongoing response to children and families around the world, urging the UK public to rally behind our fundraising efforts in order to reach the world’s most vulnerable children and families.
PLease visit unicef. uk/ donate generation covid to donate and help #save generation covid. Sacha Deshmukh. Unicef UK’s Executive Director.