IV 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 853 
Calling on the United States and international donors to prioritize children, 
including the efforts of UNICEF, in COVID–19 rebuilding efforts. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 14, 2021 
Ms. JACOBS of California (for herself and Mr. FITZPATRICK) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
RESOLUTION 
Calling on the United States and international donors to 
prioritize children, including the efforts of UNICEF, in 
COVID–19 rebuilding efforts. 
Whereas globally, children have carried the heaviest burdens 
of the COVID–19 pandemic and the resulting economic 
crisis; 
Whereas during the pandemic, approximately 80 million chil-
dren under 18 were unable to access critical vaccines; 
Whereas school closures due to the pandemic have affected 
1.6 billion children, and at least one-third of children 
globally have been unable to access remote learning; 
Whereas globally, there are 31 countries unprepared for re-
mote learning, almost half of which kept their schools 
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closed for at least half of the COVID–19 pandemic, leav-
ing 102 million students without any form of education; 
Whereas 1.8 billion children have faced increased risk of 
forced labor, sexual exploitation, and abuse; 
Whereas the COVID–19 pandemic has exacerbated physical 
and sexual violence against girls; 
Whereas the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) es-
timates that the pandemic will push 142 million children 
into poverty, most of whom are in sub-Saharan Africa 
and South Asia; 
Whereas COVID-related loss of income and the lack of job 
resources have increased the youths’ vulnerability to re-
cruitment in armed groups or banditry gangs in countries 
such as Afghanistan, Colombia, and Nigeria; 
Whereas an estimated 4.9 million children worldwide have 
lost a parent, custodial grandparent, or primary caregiver 
because of the pandemic; 
Whereas the mental health of children living in conflict-af-
fected regions is severely deteriorating as a direct result 
of the socioeconomic hardships of COVID–19; 
Whereas the United States leads the world in sharing 
COVID–19 vaccines, committing to share over 1.1 billion 
doses with countries around the world, and has already 
shipped more than 225 million doses to over 100 coun-
tries; 
Whereas lower income countries still struggle to receive need-
ed COVID–19 vaccines and supplies like oxygen and sy-
ringes; 
Whereas the United Nations Office for the Coordination of 
Humanitarian Affairs estimates that the pandemic could 
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training on infection prevention and control for health 
workers: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) calls on the United States to increase sup-
port for and work with international partners, in-
cluding 
the 
United 
Nations 
Children’s 
Fund 
(UNICEF), Education Cannot Wait, and the Global 
Partnership for Education, to address the education 
and health needs of every child as the world recovers 
and rebuilds from the global pandemic; 
(2) urges the Department of State, the United 
States Agency for International Development, and 
other agencies to work with UNICEF and other 
partners to reimagine basic education programs in 
foreign assistance, to ensure access across childhood 
from the earliest years through adolescence to early 
childhood interventions, basic education services, 
modern tools and learning platforms including on-
line, and youth skills-building programs that lead to 
career opportunities; 
(3) urges the United States Government to re-
inforce its diplomatic efforts with the international 
community to increase global support for the pan-
demic response in low- and middle-income countries, 
especially to promote greater vaccine equity across 
sub-Saharan Africa; and 
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(4) urges the United States to support Giga, a 
global initiative to connect every school to the inter-
net and every young person to educational resources 
and opportunities. 
Æ 
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