Covid-19: children on the brink of a "generational disaster"

KidsRights, an Amsterdam-based children's rights organization, estimates that a generational disaster threatens millions of children. Experts are significantly concerned about children’s poor access to education due to the health restrictions imposed during the pandemic.

In the KidsRights Index 2021, the NGO puts forward multiple alarming figures, among which:

• 168 million children are unschooled due to Covid-19-related restrictions
• One in three children does not have access to e-learning
• 80 million minors’ vaccination program has been disrupted
• 370 million children do not benefit from school meals
• 142 million children are in a precarious financial situation

The NGO also points out that in normal times, school represents a refuge for children. However, during lockdown they are exposed to domestic violence.

According to the KidsRights Index 2021, the countries that best respect international conventions in terms of children's rights are: Iceland, Switzerland and Finland. In contrast, Chad, Afghanistan and Sierra Leone take the last positions in the ranking.