On Children’s Day, UNICEF encourages all children to reimagine a better post-pandemic world

KATHMANDU: NOV. 19 – Nepal’s historic monuments Rani Pokhari and Dharahara Tower will turn blue tonight to mark this year’s World Children’s Day.

World Children’s Day is celebrated every year on Nov. 20 to mark the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), World Children’s Day is the global day of action for children, by UN member Governments, by civil society, by communities and by children and young people themselves.

UNICEF is urging governments, development partners, civil society, the media, and other stakeholders to commit to rethinking and constructing a better post-pandemic world for all children this year, in particular. To ensure that pledges are kept, it also encourages all stakeholders to pay attention to the voices of children and young people and to include their perspectives in all decisions that influence their lives and futures.

This year’s World Children’s Day falls at a time when the impact of the pandemic and climate change on children and young people is becoming increasingly clear. UNICEF Nepal’s Child and Family Tracker (CFT) household surveys, which have been conducted on a regular basis since the beginning of the pandemic, have revealed a significant loss of earnings and livelihoods among more than half of the households with children surveyed.

The combination of livelihood losses and pandemic lockdowns has had a negative influence on children’s health, restricting their access to a nutritious diet, healthcare, and disrupting their education.

Negative household coping mechanisms have resulted in increases in early marriage, child labour and other forms of child exploitation. The anxieties and pressures associated with the pandemic have also further increased the incidence of violence against children and women, as well as the previously high levels of mental health concerns.

Ms. Elke Wisch, UNICEF Representative to Nepal, stated, “COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on children across Nepal, particularly children from the most vulnerable and marginalized families.” As the world recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic and faces the common challenges of climate change, we must work together to reimagine a better future for every child.