THE COVID-19 pandemic has been wreaking havoc across the world for more than 18 months now. One invisible tiny pathogen has been wrecking the normal life cycle by affecting everybody in all parts of the globe in one way or the other. Millions of people were suddenly snatched from their loved ones and the virus still continues its purge in every country.
As in every calamity, children are the ones who suffer the most from this pandemic also. Hundreds of thousands of children are out of school for several months now, being deprived of education, play time, friends, leisure and even food.
But above all, the psychological impact of the pandemic can be lifelong, say experts. Efforts to alleviate the pain of such children are rare and often being sidelined as other priorities such as providing health care for the affected, vaccination, salvaging the disastrous losses suffered by the economy are given preferences. In this context, an agreement signed by Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), Ooredoo Group and United Nations Children Fund (Unicef) recently deserves commendation.
The strategic partnership agreements aims at transforming the lives of millions of children worldwide as they recover from the effects of the pandemic. The signatories reiterated their shared commitment to realise the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for children globally. The SDGs declared in 2015 by 193 world leaders supports 17 Global Goals intended to end extreme poverty, fight inequality and injustice and fix climate change in 15 years.
But with pandemic, these tasks have become more complicated putting pressure on all countries irrespective of being developed or otherwise. Some targets such as Goal 3, which aims to ensure healthy live and promote wellbeing for all at all ages, and Goal 17, calling to revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development.
The partnership envisages to be at the core of the national-level partnerships including, supporting global vaccine roll-out, improving formal and informal education and providing skill-development opportunities for children and youth, and empowering adolescents and engaging them in their communities.
Unicef estimates that the pandemic can push 140 million more children in developing countries to extreme poverty as the pandemic deprives sources of income dragging more households into monetary poverty and for the poorest of the lot, especially those do not have access to social protection, the situation is life threatening. Qatar realises that it is the right time to act as the country believes today’s children are tomorrow’s leaders who decide and shape the destiny of the future world.
Hence it is of paramount importance to focus on children ensuring they are brought out of the predicament they are in by extending a helping hand in all ways possible, not only in Qatar but also in other countries.
