Aceh children remain afraid<\/p>\n
A'an Suryana, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh<\/p>\n
One year after the Indian Ocean tsunami, children in Indonesia
\nare recovering at a slower pace compared to children in other
\ncountries affected by the destructive waves, a survey has found.<\/p>\n
Some 80 percent of tsunami-affected children polled in India,
\nSri Lanka and Thailand expressed optimism about the future. Of
\nthe Acehnese children who were polled, one-third said they did
\nnot think their lives would improve, according to the survey
\nfunded by the United Nations Children's Funds (UNICEF).<\/p>\n
"This may reflect the fact that a staggering 69 percent of
\nchildren surveyed in Aceh had lost at least one family member,"
\nsaid UNICEF's Indonesian representative, Gianfranco Rotigliano,
\nin a press release on Thursday.<\/p>\n
The survey, conducted by TNS, a global market information
\ncompany, involved 1,633 children affected by the tsunami in the
\nfour countries.<\/p>\n
In Indonesia, TNS interviewed 400 children in Banda Aceh and
\nAceh Besar regency, two of the hardest hit areas by the tsunami.
\nFour hundred children were interviewed in Sri Lanka, 400 in
\nThailand and 433 in India.<\/p>\n
The children, between the ages of eight and 17, were asked for
\ntheir thoughts and feelings on the disaster and their futures.<\/p>\n
Rotigliano said the survey showed that many children in Aceh
\nremained "afraid and anxious".<\/p>\n
The survey also found all of the children were aware they
\nbenefited from relief assistance, but at the same time felt
\nadditional aid was needed. The children identified several key
\nneeds, most often mentioning assistance to help them return to
\nschool and complete their studies. Money, housing, clothing and
\njobs for their families were other areas the children said they
\nfelt more assistance was needed.<\/p>\n
More than one-third of children polled in Indonesia said they
\noften feel alone. More than half the children surveyed in India
\nand Sri Lanka fear another earthquake or tsunami, while 76
\npercent of children interviewed in Thailand fear the loss of a
\nloved one.<\/p>\n
In Indonesia, feelings of loneliness and boredom occur more
\noften during playtime, while in India, Sri Lanka and Thailand,
\nthe children indicated that during free time they felt cheerful
\nand content.<\/p>\n
"This figure may be a reflection of the relatively large
\nnumbers of children who are still without permanent homes in Aceh
\nand have lost a family member," said Rotigliano.<\/p>\n
More than nine out of 10 children in all four of the countries
\nsaid they were back in school.<\/p>\n
The tsunami swept over coastal areas in Southeast and South
\nAsia, with Aceh the hardest hit region. Of the approximately
\n180,000 people who died in the worst natural disaster in
\ngenerations, some 130,000 of them were in Aceh.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/aceh-children-remain-afraid-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}