COVID-19 Devastates Children in Sub-Saharan Africa

GENEVA - The U.N. children’s fund (UNICEF) says COVID-19 is having devastating consequences on millions of children in sub-Saharan Africa, as many become orphaned, making them vulnerable to many social ills.

The region is in the throes of a full-blown third wave of COVID-19.  Children are often not directly affected by the deadly disease, but they are losing their parents to the pandemic. Traditionally, when children become orphaned, the burden of looking after them falls on the grandparents.  However, UNICEF spokesman James Elder, said older people are among the main victims of COVID-19.  As a result, children are often shoveled off to another relative, who likely is living in dire, impoverished circumstances.  The added strain and stress puts children at risk of abuse and child labor.