In this statement, the Consortium for Street Children calls on all UN Members States to take the following three steps for children in street situations during this pandemic:
1. Collaborate with NGOs to provide safe, child and age appropriate shelter for all children in street situations to safely self-isolate, in line with the principles of child participation and the best interest of the child, and not punish or criminalize them for having nowhere else to go.
2. Make sure children in street situations have access to essential services, by including and prioritising them in schemes and emergency funding that you are putting in place in your country. For instance, by providing hand washing stations on the streets, food outreach programmes, and to recognise social workers conducting street outreach as essential workers and allow them to continue work during lockdowns. We ask Governments to allow health services to be accessed without a birth registration or an adult present.
3. Provide information and advice on how to stay safe during this pandemic that is easy to access and understand for children in street situations, including those with limited or no ability to read.
