Early this week, the Pan American Health Organization or PAHO said that Latin America has already surpassed the United States and Europe when it comes to the daily count of COVID-19 cases reported. 

Meaning, the said information shared by the organization has placed the region at the center of this global health crisis.

In this undoubtedly delicate condition, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs or OCHA has warned that children are the most susceptible ones, "due to weak healthcare system, high inequality levels, and informal economies.

In addition, based on a release from ReliefWeb, Nine in every ten children in the Caribbean and Latin America, aged three to four years old, are exposed to domestic violence, castigation, emotional abuse, and failure to acquire early education, and improper care.

Moreover, this condition is about to worsen as quarantine measures and insufficient income intensify the risk of domestic violence, not to mention, child abuse inside their homes.

Contagion in LatAm, WHO and OCHA's Alarm for Children

International Director for SOS Children's Villages in Latin America, Fabiola Flores said, the new stress aspects on caregivers and parents who "may be out of work, can increase the treatment of children losing the care of parent or guardian."

Flores also said, in this region where the rates of domestic violence are undeniably alarming, emotional tension can result in violence.

According to reports, there is a higher threat that 95 percent of children and younger people are likely to fall behind the limited access to remote education or online learning.

Without a school, around 80 million children in the region are reportedly "missing out on school meals." This is certainly a very essential consideration as a lot of households do not have the capability and ability to put food on the table. And during these hard times, it may be a struggle as well, to conquer.

The Pandemic's Hidden Victims

Based on the data released by WHO, nearly 30 percent of the population of Latin America does not have proper access to health care services. In addition, children, according to Flores, are turning out to be this global health crisis' so-called "hidden victims."

Aside from the percentage given, more than 130 million people in this region have informal jobs, and, because of the pandemic, nearly all of them have lost their jobs. 

Flores also explained that "without any source of income," not to mention safety net that can compensate for the unexpected lack of earning, the crisis then enforces millions of people to make a decision every day to provide food for their family or risk their exposure to COVID-19.

This is the reason the SOS Children's Village is providing hygiene, psychological medical, and hygiene backing. Most essential though is that, the organization is providing substitute care of children in the event that family breakdown occurs.

Considering that the association backs families so they can avoid violations of children's rights, and offer quality substitute care when it is impossible for the children to stay and live with their family, according to Flores, "Is sad." 

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