JAKARTA - Commissioner of the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) Retno Listyarti asked the government to pay attention to guaranteeing the survival of children whose parents died due to COVID-19.
Retno gave an example of the handling carried out by the Indian government. Referring to the corona case in India as per the data of June 5, 2021, after the Covid case surged in India, as many as 3,632 children were orphaned because their parents died from COVID-19. Then, there were 26,176 children who lost one of their parents due to COVID-19.
"Similar data in India could happen to Indonesian children after the spike in COVID-19 cases in Indonesia in the last two months," Retno said in a statement, Thursday, July 22.
Reportedly the Indian government provides a very large budget for the lives of these children. The Indian government has announced measures to help these children.
One of them is a cash assistance of 1 million rupees (equivalent to Rp. 195 million) which will be given to each child as an allowance, from 18 to 23 years old. The funds are provided through the PM-CARES scheme.
Apart from the central government, the state governments in India have also announced various initiatives to help children who have lost their parents due to the corona pandemic.
Currently, the number of COVID-19 cases in Indonesia continues to increase. Likewise with the death toll which reached 77,583. In recent days, the death rate per day has reached more than 1,000 cases.
In connection with the increasing number of deaths due to COVID-19 in Indonesia, said Retno, it will certainly have an impact on children who have lost their parents.
"The COVID-19 pandemic has emerged as a crisis over children's rights. Children have lost their parents and caregivers due to the COVID-19 virus, making them very vulnerable and without parental care," said Retno.
"Of course the state must be present, both on behalf of the central government and local governments by helping and protecting these children. Their future is still long," he continued.
Retno also encouraged the local government to ensure the fulfillment of the rights of children who have lost their parents, such as the fulfillment of the continuity of their right to education, ensuring that these children are cared for by their closest family, the right to fulfill their health, and so on.
"Care for children who have lost their parents due to COVID-19, it must be ensured that their care is carried out by their relatives/big families. Orphanages should be the last resort. This treatment certainly requires the presence of the state and support from the State Budget and Regional Budget for the survival and future of the children. who are still underage," concluded Retno.
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