Satyarthi calls Covid a crisis of morality, demands accountability

Nobel Peace Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi called the ongoing disruption caused by Covid-19 a crisis of "civilization itself" and "morality". He said that the global response to the pandemic had been "unequal" and "exposed" the reality. He was delivering the inaugural address at the Laureates and Leaders for Children Summit on Wednesday.

"Our report says that only 0.13% of the global 8 trillion dollar global Covid-19 bailout package are dedicated for the most marginalised. It is not even 1 per cent, not even half a percent," said Satyarthi. He said the objective of the summit was to "hold the governments accountable". "It has never happened in the past that 40 Nobel laureates have come together to demand fair share for the most marginalised," he remarked.

Referring to the 'Children Preventing the loss of a generation to Covid-19' session held at the summit, Satyarthi said: "The Covid-19 pandemic has affected the entire world, but far from being an equaliser, it has demonstrated that marginalised communities are the least able to practise protective measures against the virus and its impacts, and has exacerbated many of the inequalities they have long faced. This is being entrenched by the inequality of the world's response to date, which has seen trillions announced for the richest parts of the world and very little for the most marginalised children."

Satyarthi called it a "crisis of morality" while demanding 20% of the global bail out package for the most marginalised including Children. He highlighted how the pandemic had affected all but inequality and compassion were the need of the hour.

Earlier, in an interview to IANS, Satyarthi had sent out an SOS, "The arrival of Covid-19, not only halted progress but with the hugely unequal Covid-19 response from world leaders, we are now at great risk of turning the clock back on the progress of the past few decades. Children are the worst impacted in any form of disaster, but with Covid-19, the impact has been of an unprecedented nature. There will be a most definite and substantial increase in child labour, child trafficking and slavery across the world. What we are witnessing today is an imminent and the most severe crisis for children in our times, and if we fail to act now, we risk losing an entire generation." - IANS