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China One Month On: Children in Quake Zone Need Ongoing Help to Recover
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Staff at Hong Shing School receive recreational materials provided by Save the Children. Save the Children / Colin Crowley |
Westport, Conn. (June 12, 2008) — One month after a 7.9 earthquake struck Sichuan, China killing more than 69,000 people and leaving millions more homeless, Save the Children said that the estimated three million children affected by the earthquake will need support for years to come to recover from the aftermath of the disaster.
"Children are most vulnerable in an emergency. It will take years, not months, to get their lives back to some sense of normality," said Save the Children's China Country Director Wyndham James. "Save the Children has responded to emergencies all over the world. We know many children will have been traumatized by what they have experienced and it will take a long time for them to recover, especially those who have been orphaned or separated from their parents."
The global humanitarian organization is helping to meet the health, education and protection needs of children living in tented cities that are housing families whose homes were destroyed by the earthquake.
Save the Children is supplying school equipment and supporting children from smaller marginalized schools to continue their education. The aid agency is also working with community groups to provide younger pre-school children with care and activities.
To further protect children living in the camps, Save the Children has set up five secure areas where children can play safely with other children while their parents try to rebuild their lives. So far 550 young children have benefited from the child-friendly spaces in Mianzhu and An counties. The agency plans to set up ten more child-friendly spaces throughout the quake-affected area.
"Children have very different needs after a disaster. They need to be protected from further harm, to be kept healthy and to return to school as soon as possible," said James. "So far the government has shown a good understanding of the issues facing children and we hope that this will continue as the response moves from relief to the rehabilitation."
James added, "Getting children back to school after an emergency is vital, so we welcome their commitment to providing psychological support for students and to providing temporary schools so children can re-start their lessons while construction of new schools is carried out."
Save the Children also is designing a health program targeting caregivers and babies under two years old. The organization plans to construct five baby bathing stations where mothers and other caregivers can bring their babies and toddlers to wash them, away from camp facilities. At each station, caregivers will be provided health and hygiene information, baby towels, baby powder, baby food and mosquito nets.
Save the Children has worked in China since 1995 and currently has 150 national staff — almost all local nationals — in 23 provinces implementing programs focused on education, protection and health.
Learn more about Save the Children's response in China.
