Lives for thousands of Liberian children and at-risk inhabitants of our cities remain challenging and unsafe, especially during the ongoing State of Emergency and lockdown. Let’s look around and see how many children are let out there to fend for themselves and make ends meet. Do we really care about their future? Do we know that they are at high risk of contracting the CoronaVirus? Are their rights really protected? Are we willing, as civil leaders, to help them out?
I know that during crises as such, children who are the most at-risk, suffer unduly. It is our responsibility as a national Government, through actors like the Ministry of Gender and Social Protection, National Civil Society organizations and other Child Rights advocacy groups, to muster up the courage to take actions to prevent abuse against children. We must look beyond and ensure that risk-informed decisions on COVID-19 control measures are made based on the best available indicators in order to minimize and mitigate damages to children’s welfare.
I know the impacts of COVID-19 will be felt hardest by the world’s most at-risk children, and my dear country Liberia is no exception. Many already live in abject poverty, and the consequences of COVID-19 response measures will push them further into hardship. As thousands of parents struggle throughout Liberia to maintain their incomes, governments must be able to scale up social protection measures by providing cash transfers, protecting jobs, working with employers to support working parents, and prioritizing policies that connect families to life-saving health care, nutrition and education.
According to the World Bank publication through FrontPage Africa in 2016, “about 54 percent of the population of Liberia lives below the poverty line”. This means they live on less than $2USD a day. A few years ago, the civil conflict and the Ebola Outbreak were the worst situations we endured as a Country, where children were deeply affected and many of them lived hopelessly. During these crises, children were at heightened risk of exploitation, violence, and abuse when schools were all closed, social services were further interrupted, and movement was restricted. In addition, children were forced to labor, subjected to neglect, sexual abuse, and teenage pregnancy was on the increase. The most common form of violence children face today, takes place in the home. Children are the future of every nation;they are our next breed of national leaders, and we must give them that full support by protecting them during these challenging times.
Unless we act swiftly to address the pandemic’s impacts on children, the significance of COVID-19 will perpetually damage our shared future as a country. Let’s reflect and act now to save the lives of the many children in the streets as vendors.
Featured Picture by Unsplash
Authored by Varney Teddy Wilson
