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The impact of COVID-19 on children

In Iraq, the COVID-19 pandemic is threatening to reverse the gains made in relation to child protection and wellbeing in the past few years. School closures initiated by the Federal Government and the Kurdistan Regional Government were some of the longest in the world, at 63 weeks, and affected 11 million children. School reopenings have been inconsistent and fluctuating. Many children have not been able to access remote educational modalities due to low computer ownership, limited access to internet and poor connectivity. This has left up to 7.4 million children without access to education during the periods of closure. Children who could access remote schooling received poor quality education as many teachers could only teach 50% of the time. This potentially impacts childrens short-term educational attainment and their future overall development.

Prior to the pandemic, one in five children in Iraq lived in poverty. Since the onset of COVID-19, with a rise in unemployment in an already fragile economy, that figure has risen to up to 40% . There are also signs that violence against children is increasing, and access to basic services, such as routine health care, is limited.The economic impacts of the pandemic, along with the extended school closures, have led to an increase in negative coping strategies, including school drop-out, child marriage and child labour. In surveys of refugee and asylum seekers in Iraq, UNHCR found there was a sharp increase in the percentage of [households] reporting turning to child marriage (42%), child labor (17%), and/or selling household items (17%) to generate funds.

In summary, the COVID-19 pandemic has had many, varied impacts on childrens protection and well-being. Child protection organizations, such as World Vision Iraq, have had to adapt their programming to meet the enhanced and particular needs of children at this time.

The objectives of World Vision Iraqs COVID-19 Response are:

Scaling up preventative measures to stop the spread of the virus

Strengthening health systems and workers

Supporting children impacted by COVID-19

Collaborating and advocating to ensure the most vulnerable children are protected

Here is the original post:
Child Protection and COVID-19: Iraq Case Study - Iraq - ReliefWeb