See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/353879673

Issues Confronted by Orphans and Orphanages on COVID-19 during Pandemic

in Worldwide: The Reality

Conference Paper · May 2021

CITATION READS

1 663

2 authors:

Sandhiya Priyadarshini D Maya Rathnasabapathy

VIT University VIT University
5 PUBLICATIONS   2 CITATIONS    25 PUBLICATIONS   6 CITATIONS   

SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE

Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:

Neuropsychological impairments of stroke patients – A Comprehensive Meta-Analytical Study. View project

REACH-OUT PROGRAMME AMONG YOUTH AND TEACHING PROFESSIONAL IN CHENNAI “NASHA MUKT BHARAT ABHIYAN” View project

All content following this page was uploaded by Sandhiya Priyadarshini D on 13 August 2021.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

IV. INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON
COVID-19 STUDIES

April 17-19, 2021 İstanbul, TURKEY

PROCEEDINGS BOOK

EDITORS
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gönül Gürol ÇIFTÇI
Dr. Yonca UNLUBAS

ISBN: 978-625-7720-35-9
 PROCEEDINGS BOOK

EDITORS
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gönül Gürol ÇIFTÇI

Dr. Yonca UNLUBAS

All rights of this book belongs to

İKSAD GLOBAL PUBLISHING
Without permission can’t be duplicate or copied.
Authors of chapters are responsible both ethically and
juridically.
www.covid19conference.org

ISSUED: 05.05.2021

ISBN: 978-625-7720-3-9
 IV. International Conference on Covid-19 Studies April 17-19, 2021

ISSUES CONFRONTED BY ORPHANS AND ORPHANAGES ON COVID-19 DURING

PANDEMIC IN WORLDWIDE: THE REALITY

Sandhiya PRIYADARSHINI D
Dr. Maya RATHNASABAPATHY
Psychology, School of Social Sciences and Languages, Vellore Institute of Technology, Chennai-
600127

ABSTRACT
At Present Corona virus plays a major role and is affecting many countries globally. COVID-19 has
turned the world upside down. All has been impacted. Before the outbreak in Wuhan, China, in
December 2019, no one had heard about this new virus or disease. COVID-19 is a virus that can easily
be passed from one individual to another. World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that every
infected person can in turn infect 2 to 3 other people. Corona virus disease (COVID-19) was declared
a pandemic by the WHO in March 2020. Each and every aspect of our people’s lives has been
affected. Since then, research has been reported that psychological impact among orphan children such
as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, depression, isolation, mood disorders and
behavioral disorders. In addition to this, the pandemic has affected the orphanages due to lack of
support or fund, without care-taker, deinstitutionalisation, new admissions stopped, orphanages are
entirely closed and limited sources. So, the purpose of this article was to explore the reality of the
issues confronted by Orphans and Orphanages during Pandemic in the worldwide scenario and how
they are trying to overcome this situation with help of supported organizations.
Keywords: Corona virus, COVID-19, Pandemic, Orphans and Orphanages

1| INTRODUCTION
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is one of the world's biggest pandemics
affecting a wide range of countries. COVID-19 has turned the world upside down. Our people's lives
have been influenced in every way. Before the outbreak in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, no one
knew about this new virus or disease. COVID-19 is a virus that can easily be passed from one person
to the next. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), each infected person will infect 2 to
3 other people. The World Health Organization (WHO) announced Corona Virus Disease (COVID-
19) a pandemic in March 2020. At least 143 million people have been infected with the virus as a
result of the pandemic, 77.9 million have recovered, and more than 3.047 million have died. (World
Health Organization, 2021). Furthermore, millions of people are affected by governmental corollaries
to COVID-19, such as travel restrictions and lockdowns.
Most reports suggested that millions of children could be adversely affected by the COVID-19
pandemic. According to United Nations Children's Fund, statistics state that there are 153 million
orphans worldwide (UNICEF, 2019). It is estimated that a total of approximately 15.1 million out
which of 61 million who live in Asia, 52 million in Africa, 10 million in Latin America and 7.3
million in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, have lost both parents (UNICEF).
An orphan is described as a child who has lost one or both parents due to death. A single orphan is a
child who has lost one of their parents, either their mother or father, while a double orphan has lost
both parents. A paternal orphan is a child who has lost his or her father, while a maternal orphan has
lost his or her mother (UNICEF, 2017). The vast majority of children in orphanages around the world
are not orphans because 80% of orphans have a living parent. Many children would have been
institutionalized due to a lack of proper care for low-income families. However, millions of children
are believed to be ignored by their parents even though they are alive. The term "social orphans" was
coined to describe children who were neglected by their parents. This definition is used to describe the
deprivation which a child suffers as a result of his or her parents' inability to fulfil their
responsibilities. Because of a number of reasons such as poverty, lack of access to education, and

www.covid19conference.org 41 İstanbul/Turkey
 IV. International Conference on Covid-19 Studies April 17-19, 2021

disability, millions of children are placed in orphanages. Some families who have no other option to
addressing their issues and send their children to orphanages to access support.
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic had a wide range of psychological, emotional,
physical, social, and cultural effects on children (Dalton, Rapa, & Stein, 2020). Since pandemic,
research has been reported that psychological impact among orphan children have attention-
deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, depression, mood disorders, isolation and behavioral
disorders has increased considerably.
2| COMMON ISSUES FACED BY ORPHANGES DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC
2.1| LACK OF CARE-TAKERS
The living conditions of children in orphanages and other institutions around the world have
deteriorated. In majority of cases, lockdown and social distancing measures have reduced the child-
caregiver ratio because workers who do not live on the premises are not allowed to access the facilities
to prevent the spread of infection. In other situations, workers are unable to report to work on a daily
basis because public transportation is disrupted and areas of cities are closed. For an example, masks
and hand sanitizers make it difficult to determine whether children are washing their hands and
maintaining proper hygiene. In this case, when the majority of orphanage workers are unable to work,
the risk of neglect increases, as does the risk of violence and abuse too.
2.2| LACK OF SUPPORT AND FUNDS
Orphanages and other forms of residential care in pandemic-affected areas are requesting additional
funding to support their efforts. The majority of orphanages in Africa and South Asia depend heavily
on donations, both domestic and international. In Zimbabwe, for example, 80% of orphanages were
established by faith-based organizations and receive funding from abroad. Just 42% of India's Child
Care Institutions receive government funding, and they depend heavily on donors for their everyday
needs. Residential organizations need funds to care for children who remain in their care but at present
international contributions have dried up due to the pandemic.
2.3| DEINSTITUTIONALISATION
Deinstitutionalisation reform is a process in which orphanages are gradually closed and children are
reintegrated into their families and communities. It has taken place in the United States, Western
Europe, India, and several South American countries. Although, several governments have been
caught unaware by the urgency of the situation generated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite, the fact
that there is an international consensus that family-based care is the priority for children. During the
Covid-19 pandemic, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
(UNCRPD) and disability rights recommended for "emergency deinstitutionalisation" as urgent
provision of accommodation and community assistance for children and adults with disabilities in
institutions and orphanages.
2.4| NEW ADMISSIONS STOPPED
Orphanages and childcare centers throughout India are overcrowded with a mixture of orphans,
abandoned children, and a complicated group of children from families who have put them in
institutions in order to receive education and a better life. Under Section 2(14) of The JJ Act 2015,
many of these children fall into the category of children in need of care and protection. Researchers
are concerned that as a result of increased poverty, poor health, family tension, domestic violence and
other factors, many children may be abandoned or isolated from their families. According to a United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) representative in Ethiopia, if parents become ill
with Covid-19 and there are no relatives to care for the child, the child will most likely be placed in an
Interim Care Centre. They are concerned that this will result in an increase in new admissions to
orphanages, which will potentially lead to the institutionalisation of more children. New admissions
were stopped due to this state of situation all over the world.

www.covid19conference.org 42 İstanbul/Turkey
 IV. International Conference on Covid-19 Studies April 17-19, 2021

2.5| ORPHANAGES ARE ENTIRELY CLOSED

As a result of the pandemic, several residential centers for children have closed across the world.
Many local governments have taken decisions to send children from orphanages back to their families.
Some orphanages in Bangladesh have closed overnight, with children being returned to their guardians
and asked to "treat them well." New admissions of children to every residential care facility in
Cambodia have been discontinued. In India, children were deinstitutionalized primarily based on the
child's and family's willingness, with no proper home study, care plan, or follow-up. Over 19,200
children were returned to their families and communities in Kenya. It is unknown who these children
are, why they were placed in orphanages, or to whom or where they were released. According to the
National Child Rights Council, a total of 1,362 children in Nepal have returned home due to COVID
(NCRC, 2020). If we consider that there were 15 565 children living in children's care homes in Nepal
before the COVID-19 pandemic (Shrestha, 2020), this would imply that in the early stages of the
pandemic, approximately 10% of institutionalized children in Nepal returned to their families.
3| PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF COVID-19
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic had a wide range of psychological, emotional,
physical, social, and cultural effects on children (Dalton, Rapa, & Stein, 2020). In India, 41% of the
population is under the age of 18, and their mental health needs cannot be ignored during and after the
pandemic. These consequences are not limited to health and wellbeing; they affect a wide range of
aspects of children's lives, including their schooling, protection, and poverty (UNICEF, 2020).
Obviously, children who have lost one or both parents as a result of the pandemic are extremely
vulnerable. Children may be affected emotionally by worries about their loved ones' health and
financial stability. Anxiety, depression, insomnia, and loss of appetite are common in such children.
Posttraumatic stress disorder may also be caused by quarantine, loneliness, and traumatic bereavement
(Jacob et al., 2020). Children faced adversities like COVID-positive patients are separated; children
with COVID-positive parents and children who have lost one or both parents as a result of the
infection; and children in quarantine/shielding or isolation as a result of the general lockdown. The
analysis of study revealed that in present pandemic lead can lead to severe and disruptive
psychopathology in some children. Mood disorders, behavior disorders, drug abuse, anxiety disorders,
and suicidal thoughts have all been reported in such children (Danese et al., 2020).
Conduct problems (34.90%) were the most prevalent among Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children
and Adolescents (OVCA), followed by peer problems (15.80%), emotional problems (14.70%),
hyperactivity (8.60%), and poor prosocial behavior (3.40%). It was indicated that the Orphans and
other vulnerable children and adolescents (OVCA) in institutional homes were significantly related
with emotional and behavioral problems (Kaur & Vinnakota, 2018). Moreover, AIDS orphans deal
with generalized anxiety, conduct and peer relationship problem were significantly related with other
orphans (Kumar, Srinivas & Dandona, 2016). Another study revealed that there was significant
difference in childhood depression and self-esteem. They also found that self-esteem estimates
childhood depression among orphan boys and girls (Safdar et al., 2018). In this stressful pandemic
situation, children with existing psychiatric disorders such as ADHD, anxiety, depression, mood
disorders, and behavioral disorders may be adversely affected.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the COVID-19 pandemic will have a long-term impacts on Orphan children worldwide.
Research studies supported that the psychological impacts will be harmful and could affect millions of
orphan children in some way. The support organizations are Orphan Life Foundation, United Nations
Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Orphanage Support Services Organization (OSSO), National Child Rights
Council (NCRC), International healthcare organizations, Children's welfare organizations need to
work together to minimize the impact the pandemic will have on orphan children and orphanages in
the post COVID-19 era.
REFERENCES
[1]. Bhushal, K. P. (2020). Public notice to child care homes. http://www.ncrc.gov.np/notice/ public-
notice-to-child-care-homes

www.covid19conference.org 43 İstanbul/Turkey
 IV. International Conference on Covid-19 Studies April 17-19, 2021

[2].Children’s mental health. (2020). Accessed: July 17, 2020:

https://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/data.html.
[3]. Children in institutions: the beginning of the end? : The cases of Italy, Spain, Argentina, Chile and
Uruguay. (PDF). Florence, Italy: UNICEF International Child Development Centre. 2003. ISBN 88-
85401-86-4. Retrieved Oct 2, 2017
[4]. Dalton, L., Rapa, E., & Stein, A. (2020). Protecting the psychological health of children through
effective communication about COVID-19. The Lancet – Child & Adolescent Health, 4, 346–347.
[5]. Danese, A., Smith, P., Chitsabesan, P., & Dubicka, B. (2020). Child and Adolescent mental health
amidst emergencies and disasters. The British journal of psychiatry: the journal of mental science,
216, 159–162.
[6].https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deinstitutionalisation_(orphanages_and_children%27s_
institutions)#cite_ref-4Retreived on Sept 30, 2017.
[7]. Jacob, P., Rajendra, K.M., Ghosh, S., & Sagar, V.J. (2020). COVID-19 Pandemic and Mental
Health Issues in Children and Adolescents, in Mental Health in the times of COVID-19 Pandemic
Guidelines for General Medical and Specialised Mental Health Care Settings. Bengaluru: National
Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences. http://nimhans.ac.in/wp-
content/uploads/2020/04/MentalHealthIssuesCOVID-19NIMHANS.pdf
[8]. Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2015
[9]. Kaur, R., Vinnakota, A., Panigrahi, S., Manasa, R.V. (2018). A descriptive study on behavioural
and emotional problems in orphans and other vulnerable children staying in institutional homes.
Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, 40(2):161-168.
[10]. Kumar, P.S.G., Kumar, A.G., Ramgopal, Srinivas, V., Dandona, R. (2016). A Comparative
Assessment of Generalized Anxiety, Conduct and Peer Relationship Problems among AIDS and Other
Orphaned Children in India. BMC Psychiatry, 16(1):330. doi: 10.1186/s12888-016-1042-z.
[11]. Martin Punaks and Samjyor Lama (2021). Orphanage Trafficking and Child Protection in
Emergencies in Nepal: A Comparative Analysis of the 2015 Earthquake and the 2020 COVID-19
Pandemic. Journal of Institutionalised Children Explorations and Beyond, 8(1): 26-37.
[12]. Safdar, S. (2018). Comparative Analysis of Childhood Depression and Self-Esteem among
Orphan Girls and Boys. Journal of Psychology and Clinical Psychiatry, 9(1):00498. doi:
10.15406/jpcpy.2018.09.00498.
[13]. Shrestha, G. K. (2020). State of children in Nepal 2020. National Child Rights Council [Nepali
language version]. http://www.ncrc.gov.np/storage/resources/downloads/2020/
May/18/1589777270nepali%20status%20report%20book%202076%20baldiwas%20final.pdf
[14]. UNICEF (2020). Geneva Palais briefing note on the impact of COVID-19 on children. Available
from: https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/geneva-palais-briefing-note-impactcovid-19-children [last
accessed 21 May 2020].
[15]. UNICEF, (16 June 2017), orphans. Retrieved 3 October 2018 from www.unicef.org
[16]. WHO. (2020a). Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) situation report – 35.
https://www.who.int/docs/defaultsource/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200224-sitrep-35-covid-
19.pdf?sfvrsn=1ac4218d_2.

www.covid19conference.org
View publication stats 44 İstanbul/Turkey