Minister of National Solidarity, Family and Women’s Condition, Kaoutar Krikou, confirmed, today, Monday, that Algeria “paid special attention” to the category of children to protect them from the spread of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) throughout the year 2020, according to a statement issued by the ministry.
On the occasion of her participation in the works of the Fifth High-level Arab Conference on Child Rights, under the theme “Mechanisms for Child Support in the Arab Region in Light of the Coronavirus Pandemic”, the Minister explained that, given that various groups of society were affected by the spread of the epidemic during the year 2020, including children, the situation “required” preventive plans and measures, to protect individuals by adhering to the protocols approved by the World Health Organization and providing all human and material resources necessary to “mitigate” the effects of the spread of the virus.
The Minister added that the government has paid “special attention” to the category of children, in coordination with the ministerial sectors and official bodies in charge of children, consisting of taking all measures and providing “all means” to contribute to protecting children from this epidemic, as well as ensuring that they continue their educational and social life “naturally”, without feeling any major changes to their lifestyle “in order to avoid negative influences.”
In the same context, Kaoutar Krikou pointed out that despite the suspension of studies in educational institutions in all phases, including at the level of specialized schools of education, this has been “compensated” by the digital education system via Internet and some national television programs, not to mention the simultaneous translation of lessons in Sign language, for the benefit of students with hearing impairment, as well as to ensure the sterilization of all institutions and centers under the guardianship of the National Solidarity Sector and designated for children, and to guarantee compliance with all precautionary and preventive measures at their level.
The same source added that the ministry has issued “strict” instructions to stop the activity of all small childhood reception institutions, whose number is higher than 2398, to suspend their activity temporarily, and gradually re-launched it recently, with a 50 percent capacity, and a follow-up and vigilance cell has been installed at the central level to ensure close follow-up for all the local developments related to the groups that are under the sector’s scope, especially children, in addition to organizing many convoys for needy families.
Algerian children benefited, during the lockdown period, from a “rich” set of cultural and scientific programs that were specially designed to fill their spare time, as well as many virtual and television entertainment competitions such as talent contests and awareness programs, as well as setting a free number specially to report any Child abuse, says the minister.
The Minister stressed that these measures taken during the period of the spread of the Coronavirus are not considered “exceptional or temporary” efforts, but rather “an existing and continuous national political outcome that places the best interest among its priorities.”
On the level of joint Arab work, Ms. Krikou said that the circumstances of the pandemic were a “precious” opportunity to enhance the strategy of digitizing services and adopting modern digital technologies to compensate for the imbalances left by the pandemic and allowed to accelerate the pace of work in national workshops to go far in this area for the benefit of children.
