“Many children and adolescents living in humanitarian settings do not have access to adequate basic needs or have the means to protect themselves from COVID-19. Many of those living in multi-generational households are not able to physically distance themselves from others and do not have access to clean water or healthcare. Additionally, children who are not in school due to COVID-19 restrictions are lacking social interactions and positive relationships that are essential to healthy child development.”
In this Q&A by Education Cannot Wait, Sarah Harrison, Technical Advisor at the PS Centre, discusses the MHPSS needs of children and adolescents who find themselves in such situations, along with recommendations for the education sector on how to cope with these challenges.
She additionally provides key resources that have been published by the IFRC Reference Centre for Psychosocial Support and the IASC MHPSS Reference groups. These resources aim to assist various target groups in their COVID-19 response, from assisting agencies and frontline responders in psychological first aid, to providing a widely translated children’s book that helps them cope with the pandemic.