Children after the tsunami

Children after the tsunami

Rina Jimenez-David, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Asia News Network/Manila

For years and maybe decades to come, Dec. 26 will always be
remembered the world over for the Indian Ocean earthquake and
tsunami that killed more than 200,000 people in an arc of
destruction that stretched from Indonesia to Malaysia, Thailand,
Sri Lanka, India, the Maldives and some coastal areas of Africa.

Because most of the areas hit by the tsunami were seaside
towns that boasted of beaches and beach resorts that were quite
popular among foreign tourists, the disaster had an impact far
beyond the borders of the affected countries.

Were it not for an accident of geography, the Philippines
might well have been a spot on that arc of destruction, given
that experts had long predicted the "next big one" would strike
lands along the Pacific Rim, the so-called "Ring of Fire," where
the Philippines belongs.

Unfortunately, all the wisdom we seem to gain from an
awareness of our geologic vulnerability is hindsight, born of
previous experience and tragedy, like the Pinatubo eruption and
the Northern Luzon earthquake. One reason we join in remembering
the Indian Ocean tsunami is the possibility of culling
lessons -- not just from the disaster itself but also from its
aftermath: The relief and recovery effort (including the rescue
of survivors and the salving of their physical wounds); and the
initiatives to help them recover from the psychological and
emotional trauma they went through.

A study-conducted by Unicef among children in the tsunami-
affected areas-involving 1,633 children, eight to 17 years old,
in India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Indonesia illustrates both the
resilience and vulnerability of children caught in a massive
disaster.

Despite their own suffering and the unspeakable sights they
had witnessed, the majority of the children surveyed said they
were still confident about the future. Though a Unicef regional
official warned that "fear and anxiety persist, and children
themselves express the need for continued education, healthcare
and psychological support."

Some 80 percent of the children in India, Sri Lanka and
Thailand said they were "hopeful, happy and confident" about the
future. But children in Indonesia held the least optimistic
views, with one-third believing their lives would not improve.
"This may reflect the fact that a staggering 69 percent of the
children surveyed in Indonesia had lost a family member," the
report states.

But even if they express confidence in what awaits them, the
children still experience twinges of fear and uncertainty. More
than half the children surveyed in India and Sri Lanka said they
fear another earthquake or tsunami, and 76 percent of respondents
in Thailand feared the loss of a loved one. "More than one-third
of children polled in Indonesia said they often feel alone," the
report added.

Reflecting both their optimism and anxiety about the future,
the children most often mentioned their need for "support to stay
in school," with lack of money and the need to work to help
support their families as the top reasons they gave for not going
to school.

Though many of the respondents are indeed back in school and
coping with the loss of family members and friends, their lives
are still far from back to normal. In India, 58 percent of the
children said they cannot spend as much time with people as
before the tsunami, and 52 percent of children in Sri Lanka said
they cannot participate in beach-related activities, like
swimming or playing on the beach, unafraid. In Indonesia,
24 percent of the children said they often felt hungry, while 19
percent said they were not eating as regularly as before the
tsunami.