A UN report issued Thursday warns that each year, half of the world’s children – around one billion – are affected by physical, sexual or psychological violence because countries fail to follow established strategies to protect them.

The Global Status Report on Preventing Violence Against Children also expressed concern that child abuse at home may worsen during the current lockdowns and school closures amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The report published by the World Health Organization, UNICEF and a host of other agencies finds that while nearly all countries, or 88 percent, have laws in place to protect minors, less than half, or 47 percent, say they strongly enforce them. Only 55 countries provide recovery support services.

The report which charts progress in 155 countries also finds that 40-thousand children were victims of homicide resulting from abuse in 2017. 

UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said that with the ongoing pandemic, movement restrictions have left far too many children stuck with their abusers. She said it's urgent to scale up efforts to protect children during these times and beyond including by designating social service workers as child helplines.