Save the Children is seeking to raise $100 million to urgently keep
children and their families safe during the global COVID-19 outbreak.
The Chief Executive Officer of Save the Children International,Inger Ashing lamented that the global coronavirus pandemic threatens to devastate children’s health and education, and cause unprecedented protection needs.
In a press statement in Abuja on Tuesday, Ashing said since outbreak, Save the Children continues to respond to the needs of communities in countries impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak, including in China, the US and across Europe.
According to her, as the Coronavirus pandemic now accelerates across lower income countries, with new cases expected to reach 10,000 across Africa this week, the agency is warning that failure to act now in countries across south Asia and sub-Saharan Africa could result in the loss of three million people’s lives.
“We have all watched in horror as the COVID-19 outbreak has turned lives at home and overseas upside down. The pandemic is now spreading across the world’s poorest countries, further crippling fragile health systems where children
are already missing out on life saving treatment for malaria, pneumonia and malnutrition. It will leave many children without caregivers, out of school and in danger. We only have a matter of weeks to take swift action, that will determine how many lives we can save.
“With the funds raised, Save the Children will strengthen programmes so they can withstand the impact of the virus and protect the most vulnerable children in countries hardest hit by the virus, especially children living in poverty, refugees, displaced families, communities in conflict and crisis areas and girls.
“ This includes increasing support for national health systems, standing by families facing loss of earnings caused by isolation measures, supporting unaccompanied children, and ensuring children can continue to get an education.
“With confirmed cases in Syria and Afghanistan and looming outbreaks in Yemen and the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh, concerns are growing over the spread of the virus across fragile communities which are ill prepared to manage an outbreak because of weaker health systems, food and economic insecurity or conflict.
