As a second and more deadly wave of Covid overwhelms India and Nepal, with huge numbers of people falling ill, we are thinking of our partners, colleagues and their families in the region at this concerning time.
The new strain of Covid hitting Asia is causing devastation and leaving countries in a state of emergency. In Nepal and India, the Covid situation is at its worst. We have worked with partners CINI in India and Forget Me Not in Nepal for several years, and are saddened to hear that some of our colleagues are infected or looking after family members suffering with the virus. We are extending our support to them during the pandemic.
We are working to support our partners through immediate risks, and to address longer term problems.
We know from our experience working in other countries across Europe and Africa, the majority of whom are still grappling with effects of the virus, that a crisis like this pandemic intensify the problems facing already vulnerable children and families. Disruption to essential services like education or healthcare can expose weaknesses in child protection systems, leaving more children at heightened risk of being locked away in abusive orphanages, ending up on the streets alone, or falling victim to child marriage and sex trafficking.
Here’s how we’re responding:
- We are ensuring that existing community child protection systems remain operational, to catch abuse or neglect, and support vulnerable children to stay safe
- We are identifying the most vulnerable children and linking them with support services and temporary care in families if needed
- We are continuing to provide direct emergency support to children and families at risk of separation, to ensure children can safely remain with their families
- We are working with local governments and NGOs to combine efforts and streamline services to reach more communities
- Alongside our partner in India, CINI, we’re setting up a Covid helpdesk so communities can receive health advice, guidance and access to various government support services
If you are an organisation interested in supporting our long-term work to ensure children grow up in families in India, please contact us at [email protected]
If you want to support immediate crisis response efforts through our trusted partners CINI and Forget me Not, you can learn more and donate directly at:
India: Click here
Nepal: Click here
