Covid-19, war in Ukraine, price inflation, climate change… The combination of crises will significantly affect children in 2023, says the latest report from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
In its report, ‘Prospects for Children in 2023: A Global Perspective’, UNICEF highlights eight trends that will have a huge impact on children in 2023, examining several areas, from the pandemic crisis to climate change.
The first idea of the study concerns the repercussions of the pandemic in terms of health, given that this epidemiological crisis has highlighted the need for strong global health security. Indeed, several countries are still at risk of these impacts, with children in particular representing the most vulnerable category.
At the same time, the UN agency notes that this crisis has stimulated remarkable progress in terms of vaccine development and in terms of reforms of global health systems. She stresses that all international actors must continue in this direction in order to strengthen health systems.
The second trend is based on the inflationary aspect. UNICEF says the price hike and its effects have taken a heavy toll on families and children, noting that attempts to rein in the rise can also lead to slower economic growth, among other things. On the other hand, it allows the protection of the most vulnerable from the repercussions recorded.
As for the third trend, the Fund titles it on food insecurity which has increased sharply due to weather events and the imbalance of the supply chain following conflicts, thus calling for more resilient food systems.
The ongoing energy crises internationally seem to be heading in an uncertain direction, the outlook for 2023 remains unknown. ” This situation prompts an even greater focus on the transition to clean and sustainable energy sources, with the potential to create new jobs for young people.“, declares the agency.
According to UNICEF, the fifth axis concerns the challenges of climate change. ” Without reforms to unlock additional financing for development, resources will become increasingly scarce and urgent needs will go unmet. This is bad news for children“, she laments.
The sixth tendency is characterized by the threatened democratic aspect. For the Fund, political instability can lead to positive social change, but it can also leave the door open to authoritarian leaders. He believes that young people are likely to play an even greater role in this area while contributing to the momentum for change.
UNICEF recalled in its seventh axis that the number of children in need is currently at its highest level since the Second World War and a divided world is unlikely to achieve positive results for them. However, the solution proposed by the agency is to opt for better international cooperation in order to be able to determine the challenges facing children.
Finally, children’s dependence on new technologies is the latest trend analyzed by the study. The report states that in 2023, ” we will likely see efforts to promote a free, inclusive, and secure web. Every opportunity to create a digital future that benefits children must be seized“.