Chilren in a quarantine facility (Photo: VNA) According to the Ho ChiMinh City Department of Education and Training, over 1,500 students in local schools havelost their parents in only two months. But the figure may be much higher inreality when considering all the children not included in the education system.
Head of the ChildrenDepartment under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Dang HoaNam said that the crisis caused by COVID-19 is different from others in that thereis a crucial need to take care of both physical and psychological health forchildren to ease their psychological trauma, especially among orphans.
The Children Departmenthas asked localities to make accurate lists of needy children, especiallychildren orphaned by COVID-19, in order to give them timely and full support and ensurethat no child is left behind, and no child has to leave school due to COVID-19.
Along with efforts fromthe State and local government, many organisations and individuals have joinedhands in assisting children in overcoming losses.
Recently, threenon-governmental organisations in Vietnam - the Management and SustainableDevelopment Institute (MSD), Saigon Children’s Charity(saigonchildren) and Capacity Building and Support Centerfor Women and Children (CSWC) - have joined hands to launch the “Youare not alone” campaign to support children orphaned by COVID-19 – the hiddenvictims of the pandemic.
Illustrative image (Source; VNA) The “You are not alone”campaign aims to support disadvantaged children orphaned by COVID-19 within thenetworks of participating organisations, as well as extending support towardsthe wider community through an open application system where any orphaned childoutside their existing networks can seek help.
In order to offer timelyand suitable support to the orphans, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids andSocial Affairs has asked cities and provinces nationwide to keep updated on the numbers of needy children and the situation of each case as well as the aspirationsof the children and their guardians.
The ministry has requestedlocalities to prioritise family-based environment for the children by givingthem alternative care in the family of their relatives to ensure best benefitsfor them. Nursing facilities will be considered the last choice. The ministry’sguidance has received support by many children support organisations, includingthe UNICEF in Vietnam.
UNICEF Representative inVietnam Rana Flowers said that this is a timely decision to ensure thatchildren deprived of parental care due to COVID-19 receive the support theyneed to overcome this incredibly challenging and difficult period, to have loveand attention, even though it doesn’t come from their beloved parents, andthrough this care to thrive and to develop to their full potential.
Holding that institutionsare not the best choice for orphans, Flowers stressed the need for thedevelopment of a child protection system that ensures alternative familyplacements are identified and monitored, Government allowances are provided,allowing children at risk to stay in a family environment, in their owncommunity, connected to what they know, able to attend the same school with thesame friends and supportive community.
Nguyen Dac Vinh, Chairmanof the National Assembly’s Culture and Education Committee said that thesupport to children orphaned by COVID-19 is not a short-term issue but it needs a long-term policy. He underlined the need for the Government to designlong-term and suitable policies to assist the children to overcome difficultiesand receive best care until they become adults./.
VNA
