Coronavirus has dragged 150 million more children into poverty: Unicef

As many as 150 million more children have faced poverty since the coronavirus pandemic struck earlier this year, an analysis by Unicef published on Thursday said. 

With this addition, 1.2 billion people worldwide are living in multi-dimensional poverty. 

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The analysis, conducted by Unicef and child rights' organisation Save the Children, said there has been a 15 per cent increase in the multi-dimensional poverty faced by children since the start of Covid-19 outbreak.

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In its release, the UN body said that access to education, healthcare, housing, nutrition, sanitation and water are taken to work out multi-dimensional poverty and the data from over 70 countries has been included for the analysis. 

The condition presented by Unicef already is grave and the organisation warned of a worsening condition in the future. 

"COVID-19 and the lockdown measures imposed to prevent its spread have pushed millions of children deeper into poverty," said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore, reported news agency PTI. 

"Families on the cusp of escaping poverty have been pulled back in, while others are experiencing levels of deprivation they have never seen before. Most concerningly, we are closer to the beginning of this crisis than its end."

Apart from making more children poor, the report also suggests that already poor children have become poorer after the arrival of the outbreak.

On average, the severe deprivation per child was nearly 0.7, which has not increased to about 0.85 after the pandemic began. 

Unicef suggests social protection, inclusive fiscal policies, employment, labour market interventions, among others to help families facing extreme poverty. 

It also said the expanding of health care services, providing the tools and technology for children so that education can be continued remotely and encouraging policies such as paid leave for child care as possible solutions.