Coronavirus Children's Emergency Appeal

Photo of a group of children in a classroom

Coronavirus:

Children's Emergency Appeal

Donate

Over a year on, the pandemic continues to have a devastating impact globally.

For children, especially girls, in vulnerable communities the challenge couldn’t be greater.

Coronavirus has left us facing the biggest education emergency in living memory.

It’s estimated that 20 million girls may never return to school after the pandemic.

Your support is still urgently needed to reach children and their families around the world.

Those already living through conflict, displacement and natural hazards are facing crisis upon crisis.
Photo of a girl and a woman standing outside
Sandra and her mum Rainha in Mozambique.

‘TWO GIRLS MY AGE HAVE GOT MARRIED’

We’re working to reach children whose lives have been turned upside down by the coronavirus crisis – particularly girls. Once out of school, they often take on increased childcare responsibilities and household chores, and are at greater risk of sexual violence and exploitation.

Sandra, who’s 14, lives in a resettlement cap in Mozambique with her mum, Rainha. Their home was destroyed by Cyclone Idai. Now the pandemic means they’re facing a double emergency, and Sandra has already seen the impact on girls in the camp.

“Since the schools have closed, there are two girls my age who have got married and are now pregnant,” she says.

Photo of a girl in a face mask holding a radio
In Indonesia, we’ve distributed 1,000 solar radios to children including Oldi, so they can continue learning during the pandemic.

AN EDUCATION EMERGENCY

We’re working with children and their families to ensure they can keep learning during the pandemic and make it back to the classroom. We’ve been:

  • delivering essential education supplies and broadcasting lessons on radio and TV
  • training educators to communicate through phone calls, text messages and WhatsApp
  • preparing for a safe return to school: distributing face masks, providing handwashing kits and ensuring schools have adequate water and sanitation facilities.

But with millions of girls at risk of never returning to the classroom, we still urgently need your support.

Donate now

Our response around the world

Our teams have been supporting communities all over the world, including...

In Paraguay

our emergency response programme provided vulnerable families with immediate support, including food kits and hygiene kits for 18,000 families during the most severe phase of the crisis.

In the Philippines

to help keep children safe from harm and exploitation, we delivered training to 706,326 individuals on how to better identify and report incidents of abuse.

In Nepal

we delivered 15,460 hygiene kits, containing buckets, soap, bleach and sanitary pads, to communities, including sponsored families. We also installed 69 hand washing stations in public areas and health centres.
A girl and a young woman standing together outside
Our cash transfers have been helping sponsored children in India to continue their studies during the pandemic.

India: the devastating second wave

With your support, we scaled up our emergency response in India earlier this year, as a devastating second wave of coronavirus gripped the country. With cases rising rapidly, the country experienced a shortage of hospital beds, oxygen, and basic medicine. The collapse of savings, coupled with food shortages, meant many children – especially girls – were going hungry.

Since March 2020, Plan International India has reached 828,600 people with hygiene kits and 52,100 schoolgirls with education kits – as well as extending scholarship support to 20,000 children so they can continue their education.

TOGETHER WE CAN REACH EVEN MORE CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES

Your support remains vital as the pandemic continues

Donate now
Mother puts face a face mask on her young daughter in, Vietnam.
In Vietnam, our children’s and parents' clubs have reached 52,660 children and 3,000 adults. Through the programme, we’ve shared vital information about the effects of coronavirus and how to stop the spread of the disease.

Committed to Child Sponsorship

Our child sponsorship programme is more important than ever right now. We urgently need more sponsors to help fund projects that will enable children to reach their potential, during the pandemic and into the future.

To find out more about becoming a sponsor visit our child sponsorship page >

As we continue to respond to the coronavirus pandemic, we want to reassure sponsors of the steps we’re taking to protect the children and communities we work with against the risks of the disease and the long-term impacts that threaten children’s futures. Should your sponsored child, or the area in which they live, have been affected by the pandemic, we will be in touch as soon as possible. 

If you’re already one of our amazing sponsors, our coronavirus FAQs for sponsors can be found here >