According to a new joint report released by UNICEF and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), 79% of school-age children in Haiti do not have an Internet connection at home.

"The coronavirus pandemic denies children access to their basic rights, including education. For four months, Haitian children could not attend school in order to reduce the risk of the spread of COVID-19," said Raoul de Torcy, Deputy Representative of UNICEF in Haiti. "Equitable access to the Internet is an alternative to enable all children to continue their education".

Nearly 4 million students in Haiti have been affected by school closures due to Covid-19, which has made them dependent on online learning. In such a context, education may be out of reach for those without access to the Internet.

The digital divide perpetuates the inequalities that already divide countries and communities, the report also points out. Children and youth from the poorest households and from rural and lower income areas fall even further behind their peers and have almost no way of ever catching up.

The International Telecommunications Union and UNICEF urge governments to invest immediately to bridge the digital divide that currently prevents children and young people from accessing quality digital learning and online opportunities.

See also :

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-25546-icihaiti-technology-the-internet-has-become-an-essential-tool.html

HL/ HaitiLibre