Covid-linked child hunger deaths
Coronavirus pandemic has put immense pressure on physical and mental health of children worldwide. This too especially in children from vulnerable sections or regions, where having meal of two-times a day was a luxury even in fine days. The situation is so devastating that many women are too malnourished to nurse their infants.
Economic impacts of coronavirus pandemics
A pandemic never comes alone. But with a number of effects that haunt the humanity for ages even after the end of its direct implications. We can take it from the history. The world had to live with the worst economical impacts of some of the biggest pandemics on record.
One or another pandemic had knocked the door of the globe after every hundred years, total three times before coronavirus. Livelihood losing, business shutdown, vast unemployment, acute poverty, food crisis and huger deaths are a few long term impacts of a pandemic.
There are reports that thousands of children around the globe are dying every month. They are dying if not a Covid death then Covid-related hunger death. With families losing sources of livelihood and facing shortages of food supplies, over a hundred thousand children are likely to lose lives around the world by the end of coronavirus year 2020.
Covid-linked child hunger deaths
Coronavirus-linked hunger is causing the deaths of over 10,000 children per month, says a United Nations report. The long term consequences in the poorest regions around the world are likely to be catastrophic, it added.
Coronavirus pandemic has infected more than 16.5 million people, leaving 6.5 millions dead worldwide so far. Since the world has to wait for a vaccine for a few more months, the rapidly growing graph of infection and death rates cannot see a drop soon.
Meanwhile, coronavirus-triggered global food crisis deaths of children are also not seeing a stop this year. The UN report said, more than 120,000 children may die due to food crisis over first year of coronavirus outbreak.
Malnutrition, child hunger deaths worldwide
The severe impacts on food security due to Covid19 outbreak are likely to reflect in many coming years, says World Health Organization Nutrition Head Francesco Branca. There will be societal effects, she added.
According to the UN, over 550,000 children in addition are being struck by wasting. Wasting is a term the UN uses to refer children with spindly limbs and distended bellies in result of malnutrition. The number of wasting has risen by 6.7 million from 48 million of last year, says the UN.
In response to wasting and stunting owing to malnutrition, children’s physical and mental health becomes damaged permanently. This results individual tragedies into a generational catastrophe, the international body informs.
Covid 19 and existing food crisis
The UN has sounded alarm, saying world is going to face the worst food crisis of the last 50 years. An estimated 50 million people are at risk to come in grip of virus-linked extreme poverty. UN World Food Program (WFP) Executive Director David Beasley said, there is a real danger of more potential deaths by Covid’s economic impacts than by virus itself.
From Latin America to South Asia to Middle East to East Africa, the world is expected to see the worst food crisis due to the devastating effects of coronavirus outbreak. According to UN Food and Agriculture Organization and World Food Program, over 30 countries are likely to see Covid-driven food crisis.
WFP has warned, by 2020 end, it may have to feed around 140 millions, the biggest number in its history. The agency’s pre-Covid estimation was around 100 million people to be fed this year. The global agency recently said that Covid-19 has worsen the already existing big worries. These include climate change and war displacements, and called for $5 billion for coming six months.
In such tough times, international humanitarian agencies, developed nations and other stakeholders must come forward to save children and families of the most poverty-stricken regions from dying of Covid-related hunger. There is a need of a quick and effective action in terms of food security. That is because hundred thousands of humans, including children, are losing lives every day. There are speculations of more deaths due to hunger, and that is not something which world should wait and watch.
