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.