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Help Children in Asia

In 2020, South Asia witnessed one of the heaviest monsoon seasons in years, with two severe cyclons striking Bangladesh and India within just a few weeks of one another. In the Phillipines, multiple record-breaking disasters, including Typhoon Goni and the Taal volcano eruption, threatened the health and safety of children and families like never before.

While extreme events, including cyclones and typhoons, are not new to Asia, the strength and frequency of them continues to strains health care systems and disrupted infrastructure critical to children’s well-being. With the COVID-19 pandemic revealing and exacerbating existing inequalities, millions of children living in fragile communities across Asia face an even greater risk.

Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, worsening shortages and rising prices of oxygen were reported in countries with some of highest numbers of child pneumonia deaths, such as India and Bangladesh. Meanwhile, COVID-related school closures have pushed more than 430 million children into remote learning, which is nearly impossible for children in rural areas lacking both internet access and electricity.

Girls in South Asia are disproportionately impacted by the risk of increased child marriage as a result of the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, with an estimated 191,000 being forced into child marriage or expected to become pregnant.

»ÆÉ«ÊÓƵhas worked in Asia for more than 30 years. Already a world leader in child survival, health and nutrition, we are adapting and expanding our programs across Asia, as well as launching innovations, to address children’s needs made worse by this pandemic. But we can’t do any of this lifesaving work without your support.