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The Washington Post

10 Jul, 8 tweets, 4 min read

Five-year-old twins Ruhi and Mahi often wake up crying or seized with fear. In the morning, they ask their great-uncle the same question over and over: Where are our parents?

They lost both parents to covid-19. And what happened to them is not unique. wapo.st/3ABfYXS

Nearly 600 children in India have lost both parents to covid-19, said a government official.

Even that figure may understate the tragedy. Across India, over 3,600 children have been orphaned due to covid and other causes since the pandemic started. wapo.st/3ABfYXS

Although India’s situation is extreme, the country is far from alone.

Researchers in the United States estimate that about 43,000 American children had lost a parent to covid-19 since March of last year. wapo.st/3ABfYXS

In India, the ferocity of the second wave left hospitals too full to treat the ill.

Many died because they couldn't get enough oxygen or other treatment, leaving families with the question of whether their relatives might have been saved with proper care. wapo.st/3ABfYXS

Most of the children orphaned in the surge are staying with relatives. Some have been placed in institutional care.

The perils are myriad: Children who lose their parents are at higher risk of depression, dropping out of school and being exploited. wapo.st/3ABfYXS

In April, social media messages began to circulate seeking adoptive parents for kids whose parents died of covid.

The appeals became so widespread that authorities issued a warning that such direct adoptions are illegal and could be used for trafficking. wapo.st/3ABfYXS

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently announced that the national government would cover educational expenses and provide health insurance to children orphaned by covid, as well as set aside funds they could access upon turning 18. wapo.st/3ABfYXS

For Ruhi and Mahi, all their great-uncle wants to do is fulfill the aspirations of the girls’ parents — a good school, a high-quality education, a chance to move up in the world. Mahi says she wants to be a doctor. Ruhi would like to be a police officer. wapo.st/3ABfYXS

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