As the COVID-19 pandemic continues in most countries of the world, street children and homeless youth continue to be among the groups who are most affected. As highlighted in Consortium for Street Children’s (CSC) previous submission, they are both directly at risk of contracting the virus and indirectly at risk due to the effects of the pandemic and responsive measures on their livelihoods and the services that support them.
This submission brings out some of the longer term implications of these risks, and highlights the challenges and opportunities for organisations who work directly with street children and homeless youth. It identifies lessons to be learned, drawing from the innovative ways in which CSC network members have responded as well as the challenges. Finally, it turns to the UK development sector specifically, considering the challenges faced by small UK charities working with street children and homeless youth overseas, and provides recommendations for DFID to ensure these charities can continue playing their unique and invaluable role in responding to this pandemic and in realising the leave no one behind agenda.