UN Warns Of 'Generational Catastrophe' Due To COVID-19 Enforced School Closures

The United Nations has said that the COVID-19 pandemic will lead to a generational catastrophe following the disruption of education across the world, reports PTI. The UN's policy brief on education stated that the pandemic has affected nearly 1.6 billion students while an additional 23.8 million children and youth could drop out or not have access to school next year due to the pandemic’s economic impact. While launching the UN's policy brief on education UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said, "Now we face a generational catastrophe that could waste untold human potential, undermine decades of progress, and exacerbate entrenched inequalities. The knock-on effects on child nutrition, child marriage and gender equality, among others, are deeply concerning."