THE United Nations in a report says over 370 million children are going to miss out on school meals this spring due to school closures which has kept 90 per cent of students (1.57 billion) out of school globally as a result of COVID-19 pandemic.

In the report ‘The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2020’, the UN said prolonged absence from school has resulted in lower retention and graduation rates.

The report which was prepared by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs in collaboration with over 200 experts from more than 40 international agencies, indicated that COVID-19 has worsened learning outcomes.

This, it said has an adverse effect on the social and behavioral development of children and youth.

Liu Zhenmin, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs in the report laments that as more families fall into extreme poverty, children in poor and disadvantaged communities are at much greater risk of child labour, child marriage and child trafficking.

Zhenmin noted that the global gains in reducing child labour are likely to be reversed for the first time in 20 years.

“In short, the crisis is having life-altering consequences for millions of children and youth worldwide,” Zhenmin.

On the progress made so far on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) one third of the way into the journey, report stated that the world is not on track to achieve the global Goals by 2030.

“Before the COVID-19 outbreak, progress had been uneven and more focused attention was needed in most areas,” it said.

It remarked that the pandemic abruptly disrupted implementation towards many of the SDGs and, in some cases, turned back decades of progress.

The crisis,it lamented has touched all segments of the population, all sectors of the economy, and all areas of the world.

“Not surprisingly, it is affecting the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people the most. It has exposed harsh and profound inequalities in our societies and is further exacerbating existing disparities within and among countries.”

READ MORE: https://www.icirnigeria.org/370-million-children-to-miss-out-on-school-meals-due-to-school-closure-un-report/

Everything in Nigeria gone to the dogs!