(ANSA) - LIMA, 07 JAN - The Covid-19 epidemic has made orphans around 98,000 children in Peru, announced the government of the country most mourning in the world for the pandemic in relation to its total population.
"Unfortunately, ours is the country that has almost 98 thousand children who have lost their father, mother or their guardian during the pandemic," said the Minister for Women, Anahi Durand, on the basis of data published by the medical magazine The Lancet. "We have this sad record," he added.
The ministry is currently paying a pension of sol 200 (about $ 50) to more than 18,000 families, but the number of beneficiaries is expected to be expanded, Durand said. The government intends to provide it to a total of 83,664 orphaned children and adolescents,in addition to psychological and educational support.
Peru, which has 33 million inhabitants, has the highest mortality rate in the world from Covid-19: 6,122 deaths per million inhabitants.
The South American country, which is going through its third epidemic wave, has counted over two million coronavirus infections and over 202,900 deaths.
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