In Mexico, tens of thousands of children have become orphans because of the COVVI-19

Of our correspondent in Mexico City,

In the middle of the corn fields, the cries and the songs of dozens of children resonate in the courtyard of the orphanage of San Martin de Porros.In the small town of Texcoco of the suburbs of Mexico City, the pink and white building will soon be able to welcome new arrivals.Since the start of the pandemic, the director of the premises, the superior mother Ines of Maria Piedras Diaz, has welcomed dozens of children after the death of one of their parents of the COVID-19.

"In recent weeks alone, there have been nearly twenty children who have become orphans because of the COVID-19," explains the nun."For example, we have a siblings of children aged four, five, seven and eight years old who arrived recently.The family cannot afford to deal with it.Their mother died from COVVI-19 and the dad was never present.»»

The pandemic pushed Mother Ines to carry out donation collection campaigns in order to find new funding for food, clothing and education of sixty-five residents, aged 2 to 18. « On a arrêté de recevoir des dons qui nous arrivaient mensuellement de certains donateurs à cause du manque de ressources économiques»», explique-t-elle.

Children have remained healthy since the start of the pandemic, thanks to the security measures put in place in the orphanage.Among them, the suspension of outside visits, and a strict sanitary protocol with the use of masks for all children, daily temperature taking and the constant use of antibacterial frost.

Leonardo Mier is the National Child Protection Manager of UNICEF.According to him, the care of the orphans of the COVVI-19 is an additional weight on a system of childhood assistance already failing before the pandemic. « Le Mexique continue de privilégier très largement les centres d’accueil face à des solutions plus respectueuses des droits des enfants comme les familles d’accueil»», explique-t-il.

Heavy psychological consequences

But to properly take care of the new orphans caused by the pandemic, both consider that it would be above all that the Mexican state lists the children concerned to find out their exact number and their situation. « Il va sans dire qu’il serait également très utile d’avoir les chiffres des orphelins causés par d'autres circonstances graves, comme les féminicides ou les homicides violents»», explique Léonardo Mier.

For the moment, the Mexican state pays 800 pesos per month to children already identified as orphans of COVVI-19.The amount equivalent to 40 euros is insufficient for the purchase of staple food.Many families, like that of Miriam Bermudez and her daughters aged 3 and 20, failed to obtain the allowance.A year ago, when her husband died of a heart attack after contracting COVVI-19, doctors did not mention the virus in the causes of death.

« Mon mari était chauffeur Uber»», raconte la mère de famille, la voix brisée par un sanglot."It was he who made us live.I was a housewife but I had to start selling sweets on the street.My big daughter continues her studies but she also had to start a secretary work to help me with the expenses.»»

To the heavy financial consequences of the death of the father are added the devastating psychological effects."With my daughters, we have not yet had the courage to go back to our house, where my husband died. Pour l’instant, on reste chez ma mère»», explique la jeune veuve.“My little one became more angry and my big one experienced a terrible six -month mourning;She didn't even want to wash anymore and stayed in pajamas all day.»»

The mother and her daughters receive psychological help from the Save The Children association, which offers psychological support to families bereaved by the COVVI-19.According to Leonardo Mier de l'UNICEF, the closing of schools for more than a year prevents for the moment from seeing the extent of the psychological damage caused by mourning and the pandemic on children.