Photos: Children orphaned due to Covid-19 stare at an uncertain future

Losing a loved one is never easy but if one were to compare, there would not be a loss that could quite match the severity of losing one's parents, especially for dependent children. The death of a parent strips away the child of not just the emotional blanket of comfort, but also in several cases takes away the financial support, leaving futures in a lurch. According to the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), at least 3,621 children have been orphaned during the pandemic, and over 26,000 children have lost one parent, PTI reported. (Names have been changed to protect identities)

Published on: Jun 15, 2021 4:11 PM IST

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Kalpana Sinha's daughter, Deepika, 10, scribbles "I miss you papa" on a wall at their residence in New Delhi on May 9. She lost her father to Covid-19 less than a month ago and is trying to get her life back to normal, but her mother Kalpana told PTI, "nothing will ever be normal again." (Arun Sharma / PTI)

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Kalpana Sinha breaks down while speaking about her husband, who died of Covid-19 during the second wave, in New Delhi on May 6. "He had a low-grade fever and a slight cough, which got better in a few days, but one morning he suddenly collapsed. Although we managed to revive him then… after scrambling for an ambulance and a bed for hours, by the time we reached the hospital, we had lost him," Kalpana told PTI. (Arun Sharma / PTI)

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Three siblings -- aged nine, 11 and 13- show photographs of their parents, who died during the second wave of coronavirus, in New Delhi on May 5. To make things worse, their landlord refused to let their tenancy continue unless they paid rent. Their uncle, a welder, came to the children's rescue and took the three in. (Arun Sharma / PTI)

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Two of the three siblings offer prayers at their house in New Delhi on May 5. "They are my sister's children and I love them. I want to ensure they get an education and have a bright future, but there is only so much that I can do,” Mohammad Asif, who also has to take care of his seven-month pregnant wife, told PTI. He added, "I do not earn enough to fend for three children. I want the best for them, but I will need help." (Arun Sharma / PTI)

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A father along with his daughters stands for a photograph while he holds a portrait of his wife, who he alleges died after developing a fever following the inoculation of Covishield, a Covid-19 vaccine, in New Delhi on May 11. (Arun Sharma / PTI)

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Madhu Gupta, along with her children, in an emotional state while speaking about her husband, who died of Covid-19 during the second wave of coronavirus, in New Delhi on May 9. "My younger son keeps asking about his father, and I do not have an answer. The little one was really close to him... the elder boy has become indifferent," Madhu told PTI, adding that "I don't know what to take care of. My children, their futures, or myself. I am so clueless and scared." (Arun Sharma / PTI)

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Deepika reflected in a mirror, while a photo of her father is seen on an almirah, in New Delhi on May 9. In an attempt to provide help to non-earning single parents like Kalpana and Madhu, and caretakers like Asif, Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA), an NGO led by Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi has been identifying children rendered orphans during the pandemic for almost a year now. (Arun Sharma / PTI)

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Three siblings flying a kite in New Delhi on May 5. Earlier this month, BBA also sought the Delhi High Court's assistance to get information on children who have been orphaned during the pandemic in Delhi. "While our workers have been trying to locate and provide relief to such children by giving them food and shelter wherever necessary, it is important to understand that our organisation too has limitations,” Manish Sharma, Director, Bachpan Bachao Andolan told PTI. (Arun Sharma / PTI)