Covid: Thousands of children left without parents in Iran

"She keeps asking where daddy is": Eliza's father died of Covid two months after her fourth birthday

Covid: Thousands of children left without parents in Iran

More than 51,000 children in Iran have lost a parent to the Covid-19 pandemic, Iranian welfare authorities say.

BBC NEWS – OCT 17th 2021 – By Rana Rahimpour
BBC Persian

Eliza was very attached to her father. They read together, sang together, and he was always there to put her to bed.

But then one day he started coughing and was taken to hospital. Her father, who was 40, died of Covid.

“She gets very nervous if I’m out of her sight for one minute, she thinks I might not come back, like daddy,” says Afrooz, Eliza’s mother.

Eliza is one of the thousands of children who are coping with the loss of a mother or father to Covid in Iran.

Many of these children have been home-schooled for the last 18 months and have little access to their support network due to the pandemic restrictions. It is feared the impact could be far-reaching.

“Children who lose parents feel life is unpredictable,” says Dr. Samineh Shaheem, Professor of Psychology and Leadership in London.

“They feel that they have lost their agency and have little control over their lives. This may have long-term consequences while increasing the risk of short-term trauma and adverse effects on their health.”

Compared to many of these children, Eliza is in a better situation because her mother is a teacher and can provide for her.

For many families though, life is much more difficult – especially those who have lost their primary breadwinner.

Read more on the Original:https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-58886923