World Vision concerned about ongoing riots and effects on children’s lives

13th October 2021, Eswatini: Christian, child-focused humanitarian aid agency, World Vision, joins the CANGO Children’s Consortium and other partners in expressing its concern about the increasing number of school-going children impacted by the ongoing riots in the country.

World Vision's National Director for Eswatini, Tinah Mukunda, says: “We know that crises have a destabilising effect on communities and, particularly, children. As a child-focused organisation that works in many fragile contexts across the globe, we have often seen that 70% of the population most affected by such occurrences are children; thus rendering them more vulnerable”.

This situation, too, will have long-lasting effects on children’s physical and psychological wellbeing; therefore, together with parents, partners and communities, we need to support their short-term and long-term recovery.

World Vision calls upon all relevant stakeholders, including Government, children, parents and all structures involved, to engage in meaningful dialogue in order to protect the lives and wellbeing of children and secure their future so they can enjoy life in all its fullness. We further urge all parties to uphold the rights of children in all their dealings with them, and ensure they are always safe.

World Vision remains committed to working with emaSwati to improve the lives of the country’s most vulnerable children and their families as part of delivering on our commitment to them. World Vision is an impartial, humanitarian, child-focused organisation committed to improving the wellbeing of vulnerable children and their communities in Eswatini, and we have been discharging this mandate since our establishment in the country in 1994.

**ENDS**

World Vision has spokespeople available for comment. Contact Lungile Dlamini-Zwane, Communications & Campaigns Manager for World Vision in Eswatini, to arrange interviews. Email: lungile_zwane@wvi.org. Phone: (+268) 7905 6439.