UNICEF Calls for Every Child to Have Access to Necessary Services in Georgia

On Child Protection Day, June 1, UNICEF calls for every child to have access to necessary services in Georgia.

Children and adolescents have been greatly affected by the COVID-19 global pandemic. UNICEF is particularly concerned about the impact on those that have inequitable access to basic services and resources.  

"Children living in overcrowded households or in inadequate conditions, like lacking hand-washing and other hygiene facilities, are particularly vulnerable to rapid COVID-19 transmission. According to UNICEF’s Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, 29,800 children in Georgia have no handwashing facility with water and soap in the household. This means they are exposed to a greater risk of COVID-19 infection.

"All children should continue to learn during the ongoing crisis and be able to safely return to school. Children who are already marginalized by lack of access to digital tools and internet connectivity, favorable home learning environments and parental support, risk falling further behind. Lacking quality access to the internet is another obstacle to children, adolescents and youth’s access to interconnectedness, playing and learning. There are 50,400 of 3- to 17-year-old children in Georgia who have no access to the internet and a computer at home," reads the statement released by the organization. 

“We need to ensure that children and their families have access to safe water and hygiene, access to the internet, books and educational resources”, said Ghassan Khalil, UNICEF Representative in Georgia. “We continue supporting the Government of Georgia in strengthening necessary services and creating an adequate environment for every child to enjoy their rights. The entry of the Code on the Rights of the Child into force later in September will guide the wellbeing of children for many years and will make significant changes in children’s lives. We will continue to support the Georgian authorities in implementing the Code.”

The Code on the Rights of the Child was adopted by the Parliament of Georgia in September 2019 and will enter into force in September 2020. The Code is an umbrella document, a special law which unites all main principles that are crucial for a child’s wellbeing. It will guide all state agencies, local governments, other administrative bodies, the common courts, public and private organizations, and individuals when working with and making decisions about children.  

By Ana Dumbadze 

Image: © UNICEF/GEO-2018/Tsetskhladze