WE cannot deny the profound impact the coronavirus outbreak has on children. The outbreak, coupled with the movement control order, which has been extended to four weeks, will have profound long-term effects on their education, health, and wellbeing.
It has been almost two weeks that children have not been in school, missing out on learning opportunities and socialisation. Confined indoors and not allowed to move freely, they are deprived of movement and exercise, to the potential detriment of their overall wellbeing.
Daily wage earners who have lost their jobs will face additional stress from the loss of income. Their children’s wellbeing in turn will be affected. They are also likely to face increased violence at home caused by tensions at home.
The prime minister has rolled out an ambitious economic stumulus package to the tune of RM250 billion to offset the economic impact of the movement control order implemented to contain and prevent the spread of the virus. It is ambitious, and it is vital, to mitigate the economic effects on households, and for their children’s wellbeing.
Meanwhile for children in Malaysia, Unicef is responding to the crisis, offering our support to the government and to the population at large, and especially marginalised communities.
The first thing we did was to ensure that people had access to targeted, accurate messaging and information on Covid-19 through social media, TV and radio broadcasts, and other mass media channels. A big part of that work consists of debunking myths about the virus, especially fake advisories that have sprung up and put lives at risk.
While school closures have disrupted education, they have also accelerated the move to e-learning. We have seen the government as well as the private sector respond in the form of providing training material, training modules and internet connectivity to children. What is important at this point is that children have access to these materials and no children are left behind. We have offered our support to the Ministry of Education to ensure that all children have access to continuous learning during the temporary school closure, especially children with disabilities, indigenous or undocumented children.
For parents, we launched a website to support them with tips and guidance on parenting during the time of confinement. The information is available in multiple languages and is free for all to access at https://www.covid19parenting.com/
Exposure to violence at home.
While we settle into life at home, we are warned of the increased violence children will face, not just in Malaysia, but globally. As a result of quarantine efforts and being confined at home, children will likely face increasing threats to their safety and wellbeing – including mistreatment, gender-based violence, exploitation, social exclusion and separation from caregivers.
Unicef, together with our partners at the Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action, has released a set of guidance to support authorities and organisations involved in the response.
What you can do today
These are challenging times for all of us, and we are uncertain what lies ahead. Covid-19 has affected every aspect of our lives and we are all doing our best to cope and adjust to the new normal. Unlike other global disasters, this is personal, and affects each and every one of us.
But there are real steps you can do today to help. You may have heard them all, but it bears repeating; stay at home, wash your hands, take care of your mental health. You can also give.
We need to work together to fight this global pandemic. Today, more than ever, we need your help in responding to the impact that Covid-19 is having on children’s lives. Unicef is appealing for RM2.8 billion to further scale up its global humanitarian response, to support response plans in countries with weaker healthcare systems, to deliver critical health prevention supplies and public health education services, as well as to provide key healthcare, education, child-protection and psycho-social support to all the children. For example, with your support in Malaysia, we will reach vulnerable and undocumented children in Sabah, to provide them with hygiene education, deliver critical hygiene kits and more.
The virus has shown how connected we are, even as its effects are felt across countries and continents – no one is spared. We are in a race against the clock. Every individual and every dollar counts. With your support, which is now more critical than ever, Unicef can do whatever it takes to ensure children and their families get what they need to stay safe and well.
We need a global response to combat this disease, and we need your help to do it.
You can support the Unicef Covid-19 emergency appeal:
Give Online
bit.ly/helpUNICEF0320
Bank transfer
Payee Name: UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN’s FUND-EMERGENCY
Bank: MALAYAN BANKING BERHAD
Account No: 514329602449
Link to guidance for child protection: http://tiny.cc/cpcovid19
Link for parents: https://www.covid19parenting.com/
Marianne Clark-Hattingh is the Unicef representative in Malaysia.
