October 21, 2020

Andrew Campbell 

No poverty is one of the sustainable development goals in the United Nations. However, a report from a new World Bank Group and UN Children Fund (UNICEF) indicated that an estimated one in six children were living extremely poverty before the COVID-19. 

Based on the Global Estimate of Children in Monetary Poverty: An Update, children who spend less than $1.9 per day indicated that they are living in the poverty. Around the world, two-third of children in sub-Saharan Africa were struggling to survive with daily life spending less than $1.9. About one-fifth of the children in South Asia were  suffering from poverty. 

The report also indicated that the number of children living in poverty got some relief between 2013 and 2017. However, UNICEF and World Bank Group gave strong recommendations for the progress of solving the situation of poverty is kind of slow. Because of the pandemic, the economy is hugely impacted. The pace of solving the poverty should speed up. The recovery plan is also necessary to cope with the post-pandemic situation. 

Carolina Sánchez-Páramo, Global Director of Poverty and Equity for the World Bank stated that extreme poverty might hinder both children’s physical and cognitive development and even threaten their chances to get a job. 

The report concluded that plans only cope with short-term crisis but children who live in poverty need a long-term strategy to secure their future. Therefore, it is time for governments to prepare a concrete social protection for all. 

Photo:Webshot.