Saying the cause is "the pandemic" is to avoid pointing fingers >voluntary lockdowns Who's saying voluntary? >The report – which covered Afghanistan, Banglad

Saying the cause is "the pandemic" is to avoid pointing fingers >voluntary lockdowns Who's saying voluntary? >The report – which covered Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka – also found that about 420 million children were out of school due to the pandemic and its related control measures. >“Given the cultural and social context of South Asia, the suspension of these services is deepening inequalities and is likely to lead to an increase in the number of maternal and neonatal deaths” This parts of the article specifically say the closing of schools is likely to cause an increase in deaths. And, again, the closing of schools is a lockdown measure, not something COVID did The article says that there was a drop on treatment of malnutrition and puts a number 228,000 of deaths on that cause, and in poorer countries this kind of things (along with family violence) are found primarily on schools by teachers. Which obviously can't happen when schools are closed >"The region also suffered increased levels of unemployment, poverty and food insecurity due to the pandemic, further undermining public health, the report said" Increased unemployment is a direct consequence of mandatory lockdowns