Based on figures from UN agencies, the KidsRights classification also shows that children are threatened by climate change and the health impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. “All of this amounts to an extremely serious ‘polycrisis’ as global tensions continue to destroy children’s rights and livelihoods,” said Netherlands-based NGO KidsRights.
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Sweden, Finland and Iceland are the highest ranked countries on the list, out of 193 states. Chad, South Sudan and Afghanistan are, according to the NGO, the worst countries for children.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022, was included in a list of crises affecting children's rights, the organization explained. “One in four children is expected to be living below the poverty line this year as a result of the war in Ukraine, which has caused an explosion in energy and food prices around the world,” says KidsRight in its report. The 7,5 million Ukrainian minors were “disproportionately affected by the war”, and a significant number of them had to be displaced, the document reports.
Post-pandemic inflation and a global weakening of health systems due to Covid-19 also have a negative impact, especially on vaccination programs, according to the same source. In total, 67 million children were not adequately vaccinated between 2019 and 2021, due to disruptions caused by the pandemic.
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Climate change is also a danger, especially in some Asian countries, where minors are “particularly exposed to unforeseen weather phenomena.”
