UNICEF asks PH gov’t: Listen, address Filipino children’s issues during pandemic

Joel Toledo, 44, feeds his six children (clockwise from left) Christine Joy 8 years old, Kylie Rose 7 years old, Jocel 3 years old, King Joel 1 year old, Kryssa May 8 years old, and Krystal Anne 10 years old (not in photo) at the resettlement area for homeless individuals affected by the COVID-19 pandemic at the Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City on Father’s Day, Sunday, June 21, 2020. INQUIRER FILE/GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

MANILA, Philippines — In celebration of this year’s World Children’s Day, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) called on the Philippines government’s attention regarding threats faced by children due to COVID-19.

UNICEF, on the anniversary of the Convention of the Rights of the Child, underscored the struggles experienced by children during the pandemic and onslaught of recent typhoons in the country. The organization urged lawmakers to listen to the concerns voiced out by Filipino children.

“The COVID-19 pandemic, combined with a threatening typhoon season, has upended thousands of children’s lives and has left many more children uncertain about their future,” UNICEF said in a statement.

‘Trifecta of threats’

According to UNICEF, children are facing “a trifecta of threats” in this time of a global health crisis, namely: direct consequences of the disease itself, interruption in essential services, and growing poverty and inequality.

In a report released Friday titled “Averting a Lost COVID Generation,” UNICEF detailed other key predicaments that are affecting children worldwide.

The data revealed the alarming effects of the pandemic on the mental health of many children and adolescents. It also showed a 15 percent increase in the number of children who have no access to proper education, health services, nutrition, sanitation, housing, and water.

Six-point action plan

In response to the report’s findings, UNICEF issued a six-point action plan that serves as a recommendation to the government in addressing the aforementioned threats.

“We must listen to children and young people now, working with them to secure a better future,” UNICEF Philippines Representative Oyunsaikhan Dendevnorov said.

“In the years to come, children and young people will be living with the impact of this pandemic and with the consequence of how we choose to respond. They must have a say in the decisions that will affect their future,” he added.

Photo from Unicef

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