Earlier this week, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that the world is currently in a better position to end the coronavirus pandemic.

Earlier this week, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that the world is currently in a better position to end the coronavirus pandemic. While the pandemic may end sooner or later, the lives of millions have been upended for good, especially the kids and teenagers. According to a modelling study, over 10.5 million children across the globe have lost a parent or a caregiver due to COVID-19. The study, first-of-its-kind was a collaboration of 13 international organisations and found that of the 10.5 million, 4.2 million reside in Southeast Asia, 2.5 million in Africa, 1.5 million in the Americas, 1.5 million in Eastern Mediterranean, and 500,000 in Europe. Read more: Why kids are the biggest victims of Covid pandemic Countries such as India, Egypt, and Indonesia make up for the large chunk of the kids who have lost their near and dear ones. The report, published in JAMA Pediatrics shows that one out of every 50 children in Southeast Asia and Africa has gone through the aforementioned scenarios. Comparatively, only one in 150 in the Americas has had to endure such a painful early-life separation. The numbers paint a grim picture as they are almost double the previous estimates. Read more: 'Seize this opportunity': WHO says end of COVID-19 pandemic is in sight Globally, children who experience the loss of a parent or a caregiver are more often than not, at the most risk of trying from the path of normality. Such children face extreme poverty, sexual violence, abuse, sexual diseases, mental health problems and exploitation. "The death of a parent or caregiver places children at a heightened risk of lifelong adversity, unless given appropriate support in time," said Dr Susan Hillis, the lead author of the study. “When you have deaths of this magnitude, certainly without help you can weaken the fabric of a society in the future if you don’t take care of the children today,” she further added. Losing a parent can inflict life-long consequences. According to the researchers, the study should act as an eye-opener for governments worldwide to bring policies that cater to this particular demography. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Over 10 million kids lost a parent or a caregiver because of Covid: Study

Rhinoceros in South Africa are a big source of business for traders which makes rhino poaching a common practice in the region. But this practice also leaves many young rhinos as orphans. Providing them shelter and keeping them safe is a team of vets in South Africa who not only protects them from poachers but also rehabilitates them.

World Of Africa: Rhinos find a new home in South Africa

While many girls across Afghanistan remain at home and their brothers go to school, nine-year-old orphan Samira attends classes in her orphanage every day with hopes of becoming a doctor. But as her orphanage runs out of funding, and now food, there is a chance that Samira's dreams could be crushed. There are around 130 children at the Shamsa Children's Village orphanage aged from three years upwards. It has been operational for more than a decade, and provides shelter for those who have lost both parents or just one who cannot afford to support them.

Kabul orphanage struggles to stay afloat as donations dry up

As a result of COVID-19, 1.5 million children worldwide have lost a parent, custodial grandparent, or another person who cared for them, according to a collaborative study published in The Lancet.

During the first 14 months of the pandemic, more than 1 million children lost one or both parents, and another half a million children lost a grandmother caregiver living in their own home, according to the report.

Researchers extrapolated findings using COVID-19 mortality data from March 2020 to April 2021, as well as national fertility numbers for 21 nations, to arrive at worldwide estimations.

COVID-19 has resulted in the deaths of 1 million children, 1.1 million children who have lost a parent or custodial grandmother, and more than 1.5 million children who have lost a parent, custodial grandparent, or other secondary familial caregivers.

Children who have lost a parent or caregiver face serious short- and long-term consequences to their health, safety, and well-being, including an increased risk of sickness, physical abuse, sexual violence, and adolescent pregnancy, to name a few.

The researchers call for immediate action in COVID-19 response plans to address the impact of caregiver fatalities on children.

There were an estimated 140 million orphaned children globally before the pandemic.

Mental health issues, familial poverty, and physical, emotional, and sexual assault are all higher dangers for these youngsters.

(With inputs from agencies)

As a result of COVID-19, 1.5 million children worldwide have lost a parent, custodial grandparent, or another person who cared for them, according to a collaborative study published in The Lancet.

As a result of COVID-19, 1.5 million children worldwide have lost a parent, custodial grandparent, or another person who cared for them, according to a collaborative study published in The Lancet. During the first 14 months of the pandemic, more than 1 million children lost one or both parents, and another half a million children lost a grandmother caregiver living in their own home, according to the report. Researchers extrapolated findings using COVID-19 mortality data from March 2020 to April 2021, as well as national fertility numbers for 21 nations, to arrive at worldwide estimations. COVID-19 has resulted in the deaths of 1 million children, 1.1 million children who have lost a parent or custodial grandmother, and more than 1.5 million children who have lost a parent, custodial grandparent, or other secondary familial caregivers. Children who have lost a parent or caregiver face serious short- and long-term consequences to their health, safety, and well-being, including an increased risk of sickness, physical abuse, sexual violence, and adolescent pregnancy, to name a few. The researchers call for immediate action in COVID-19 response plans to address the impact of caregiver fatalities on children. There were an estimated 140 million orphaned children globally before the pandemic. Mental health issues, familial poverty, and physical, emotional, and sexual assault are all higher dangers for these youngsters. (With inputs from agencies)

A silent tragedy: 1.5 million children worldwide lost a parent or caregiver due to COVID-19, says study

Looking after an orphaned baby rhino is hard work: you feed them bottled milk at all hours, comfort them through constant fear and bereavement and endure long nights of screaming for the absent mother they witnessed being shot dead by poachers.

South Africans volunteer to keep rhino orphanage going during lockdown

Sitting in a wheelchair beside a metal fence in a camp in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-states-says-128000-syrians-subject-to-arbitrary-detention-252917">northern Syria</a>, nine-year-old Ruqaya Mohammad raises a scarf over her face to hide from journalists.

The Egyptian girl lost her left eye, her legs and both her parents during battles against the Islamic State group in their last Syria redoubt in March.

She now lives in a large tent along with 23 other orphaned children of foreign IS fighters in a camp for the displaced in Ain Issa, under the care of older camp residents.

Aged 18 months to 13-years-old, the children were born to parents from Russia, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Tajikistan, Egypt and Iraq.

"Among the children, Ruqaya moves me the most," said Sara al-Abdullah, a 37-year-old who helps look after the orphans.

"She always looks withdrawn, shy, and sad," said the widowed mother of three, one of nine women residents of the Ain Issa camp paid a small fee to help look after the children.

Outside the tent, tiny children's tops and trousers have been slung across the metal fence to dry.

Inside, young boys dip flatbread into bowls of soft aubergine stewed in tomatoes.

A volunteer tries to coax a young child into opening his mouth, while another woman feeds an infant with a milk bottle.

A small boy dashes across the tent and throws himself excitedly into a pile of bedding.

Marred childhood

The volunteers say some of the children are still visibly scarred after living with their late parents under IS.

"They play at shooting each other or planting mines in the earth," Abdallah said.

Clutching bits of wood they pretend are guns, she says they throw themselves into imaginary battles, emulating the cries of IS jihadists.

"All that is ingrained in their heads. There's nothing to help them forget," said Abdallah.

"They don't study, or go and play with the little ones. It's been taken away from them."&nbsp;

IS overran large parts of Syria and neighbouring Iraq in 2014, declaring a "caliphate" and imposing their brutal interpretation of Islam on millions.

US-backed Syrian fighters in March expelled them from their last patch of territory in the eastern Syrian village of Baghouz.

After years of leading the fight against the jihadists, Syria's Kurds hold thousands of suspected foreign IS members in detention and camps: men and women, but also some 8,000 children — more than half of whom are under the age of five.

The United Nations says <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-syrias-aleppo-reconstruction-makes-slow-start-252744">hundreds of them are unaccompanied</a>.

The 24 orphans in Ain Issa were among the tens of thousands of people to stream out of Baghouz in the last weeks of the battle, after months of food shortages and heavy bombardment.

"They were in a pitiful state. They went to hospital and got better," said Ain Issa camp manager Jalal Iyyaf.

But the camp has received no aid for the orphans and is struggling to provide for them, he said in his office.

"We ask for clothes, food, drink as well as help to rehabilitate them, rid them of IS ideology," he said.

Reading and writing?

Back in the tent, Suad Mohammed Ameen, 20, pulls a T-shirt over a toddler's head.

The children she helps need food and clothes — but also psychological support, she said.

"The toughest part is when they tell me their fathers and mothers were killed in front of them, or how they lost their siblings," she said, a fuchsia pink headscarf framing her face.

To help ease the pain, she has vowed to tell the children stories, and even teach the girls to crochet.

"I promised them that, after everything they'd missed out on, I'd help them catch up on reading and writing," she said.

But Iyyaf, the camp manager, said <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/aleppo-filmmaker-vows-to-continue-showing-reality-of-syria-252170">the best solution would be for their home countries</a> to take them back.

The Kurdish authorities in northeast Syria have repeatedly called for the foreigners they hold to be repatriated, a request that has largely been met with resistance — except in rare cases, including several orphans.

Alaa Suleiman al-Saleh, 19, another one of the caregivers, also hoped the children would be able to go home.

"The situation in this tent is really difficult," said the young woman, who has been teaching some of the girls to crochet.

"I hope these children will return to their countries so they can catch up on their education and childhood," she said.

Sitting in a wheelchair beside a metal fence in a camp in northern Syria, nine-year-old Ruqaya Mohammad raises a scarf over her face to hide from journalists. The Egyptian girl lost her left eye, her legs and both her parents during battles against the Islamic State group in their last Syria redoubt in March.

Sitting in a wheelchair beside a metal fence in a camp in northern Syria, nine-year-old Ruqaya Mohammad raises a scarf over her face to hide from journalists. The Egyptian girl lost her left eye, her legs and both her parents during battles against the Islamic State group in their last Syria redoubt in March. She now lives in a large tent along with 23 other orphaned children of foreign IS fighters in a camp for the displaced in Ain Issa, under the care of older camp residents. Aged 18 months to 13-years-old, the children were born to parents from Russia, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Tajikistan, Egypt and Iraq. "Among the children, Ruqaya moves me the most," said Sara al-Abdullah, a 37-year-old who helps look after the orphans. "She always looks withdrawn, shy, and sad," said the widowed mother of three, one of nine women residents of the Ain Issa camp paid a small fee to help look after the children. Outside the tent, tiny children's tops and trousers have been slung across the metal fence to dry. Inside, young boys dip flatbread into bowls of soft aubergine stewed in tomatoes. A volunteer tries to coax a young child into opening his mouth, while another woman feeds an infant with a milk bottle. A small boy dashes across the tent and throws himself excitedly into a pile of bedding. Marred childhood The volunteers say some of the children are still visibly scarred after living with their late parents under IS. "They play at shooting each other or planting mines in the earth," Abdallah said. Clutching bits of wood they pretend are guns, she says they throw themselves into imaginary battles, emulating the cries of IS jihadists. "All that is ingrained in their heads. There's nothing to help them forget," said Abdallah. "They don't study, or go and play with the little ones. It's been taken away from them." IS overran large parts of Syria and neighbouring Iraq in 2014, declaring a "caliphate" and imposing their brutal interpretation of Islam on millions. US-backed Syrian fighters in March expelled them from their last patch of territory in the eastern Syrian village of Baghouz. After years of leading the fight against the jihadists, Syria's Kurds hold thousands of suspected foreign IS members in detention and camps: men and women, but also some 8,000 children — more than half of whom are under the age of five. The United Nations says hundreds of them are unaccompanied. The 24 orphans in Ain Issa were among the tens of thousands of people to stream out of Baghouz in the last weeks of the battle, after months of food shortages and heavy bombardment. "They were in a pitiful state. They went to hospital and got better," said Ain Issa camp manager Jalal Iyyaf. But the camp has received no aid for the orphans and is struggling to provide for them, he said in his office. "We ask for clothes, food, drink as well as help to rehabilitate them, rid them of IS ideology," he said. Reading and writing? Back in the tent, Suad Mohammed Ameen, 20, pulls a T-shirt over a toddler's head. The children she helps need food and clothes — but also psychological support, she said. "The toughest part is when they tell me their fathers and mothers were killed in front of them, or how they lost their siblings," she said, a fuchsia pink headscarf framing her face. To help ease the pain, she has vowed to tell the children stories, and even teach the girls to crochet. "I promised them that, after everything they'd missed out on, I'd help them catch up on reading and writing," she said. But Iyyaf, the camp manager, said the best solution would be for their home countries to take them back. The Kurdish authorities in northeast Syria have repeatedly called for the foreigners they hold to be repatriated, a request that has largely been met with resistance — except in rare cases, including several orphans. Alaa Suleiman al-Saleh, 19, another one of the caregivers, also hoped the children would be able to go home. "The situation in this tent is really difficult," said the young woman, who has been teaching some of the girls to crochet. "I hope these children will return to their countries so they can catch up on their education and childhood," she said.

In Syria camp, uncertain future for foreign Islamic State orphans

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