COVID-19 Aftershocks: Out of time

As families' incomes plummet, millions more children go hungry and are forced to work and beg. 

Millions of parents and caregivers have lost incomes and jobs due to COVID-19, forcing them to expose their children to harmful and dangerous circumstances, such as begging or child marriage. World Vision has conducted rapid assessments in 24 countries across Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Asia confirming alarming predictions of increased child hunger, violence, and poverty due to the economic impact of COVID-19.

These assessment results give further evidence that the most vulnerable families and their children are hardest hit in such crises. Those living in fragile countries already suffering from conflict, climate change, instability or displacement as well as those already receiving humanitarian assistance are suffering even greater injustices because of the pandemic.

Without immediate action to protect people’s livelihoods now, the impact of this pandemic will reverse progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals and irreparably damage the lives of current and future generations of children.