Pictures of the burning open pyre of dead bodies in India spread all over the world.Behind these pictures is the human tragedy caused by the new crown pandemic-parents have died and many children have become orphans.

Indian children who lost their parents in the epidemic

In April this year, the parents of Divyesh and Neha died in the second wave of fierce infections in India, falling into despair. Sister Neha called the child protection agency hotline in the capital New Delhi. The head of the agency, Anurag Kundu, said that Divies was seriously injured. The siblings now rely on relatives to take care of them.

Kundu said that the authorities have contacted multiple orphans who lost their fathers, mothers, or both parents in the epidemic. He pointed out that the inner world of all these children is difficult for outsiders to see, but there is one thing in common: "Insomnia, anxiety, loss of appetite, and feeling lonely constitute a vicious circle that is difficult to get out of."

Aid agencies across India have received calls for help. People worry that, especially in poorer families, orphans are at higher risk of being forced to work in order to survive; girls are married prematurely, so they no longer have to be raised by the family. People are also worried that girls are more likely to become victims of sexual violence. In this vast country, before the outbreak of the new crown epidemic, child labor and child marriage were not uncommon.

India’s official child protection agency has contacted 1742 Covid-19 orphans and 7464 children who lost their fathers or mothers. The agency believes that the number of children who have lost both or single parents is actually much higher. The population of India exceeds 1.3 billion. According to official figures, so far, 330,000 people have died directly or indirectly from the new crown. Experts believe that the actual death toll will be much higher.

Especially during the second wave of the epidemic, similar messages often appeared on social media: "If anyone wants to adopt a girl, please contact Priyanka at the phone number.... One girl is just 3 days old and the other 6 months old because of the new crown. I lost my parents. Please help, give the children a new life, and help spread the news." Prabhat Kumar of the charity Save the Children said that the person who sent this kind of news is likely to have a close and deep relationship with the children. People who are worried, and may inadvertently connect with child trafficking gangs in the relevant process. However, he said that some scammers would also send such messages to squeeze money from people who intend to adopt them. He said that he and his team called the relevant phone number and forwarded it to the alerting party. Kumar of the Child Protection Agency told that some people who sent such information offered separate prices: 500,000 rupees (about 5,600 euros) for girls and 800,000 rupees (about 8,900 euros) for boys.

Child rights activist Meera Marthi pointed out that there is a high demand for adopted children in India. She is the founder of the organization "Where are India's Children" (Where are India's Children). According to her, there are currently 30,000 people in India looking to adopt children. At the same time, only about 2,200 children were officially approved as eligible for adoption. However, many children are not officially registered. Other children live in orphanages but are not eligible for adoption.

Kumar of Save the Children says that orphans like Divies and Neha are usually best placed with relatives. In view of the new crown crisis, many poorer families have difficulty raising one more child. Therefore, such families will receive food assistance.