April 20, 2020 – As of mid-April 2020, the novel coronavirus COVID-19 has claimed approximately 150,000 lives globally, even as governments put in place measures to mitigate its spread. On March 23, 2020, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a worldwide ceasefire in order to create conditions for the delivery of lifesaving assistance and focus resources on ending the pandemic. Highlighting the devastating impacts of armed conflict on children and other vulnerable populations, the Secretary-General noted that these groups are also at the highest risk of suffering devastating losses from COVID-19. In a policy brief published April 15, the UN detailed the harmful impacts of the virus on children.
Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict has developed this factsheet to put into focus the risks of COVID-19 specifically for those children embroiled in war and provide recommendations to mitigate these challenges.
Read Watchlist’s Factsheet on COVID-19 and Children in Armed Conflict.
Photo: UNMISS peacekeepers teach children in Juba, South Sudan, the importance of handwashing prior to the current COVID-19 pandemic. © UN Photo/Nektarios Markogiannis.
