Quake-hit Nepalese children express fear, insecurity report

Nearly 2,000 children who survived the earthquake in Nepal have expressed fear and insecurity at having to live in tents and overcrowded shelters, anxiety about the risks to their health from unsanitary conditions and worries about their future if they cannot return to school, said a new report.

One of the recent child consultations undertaken following the disaster highlighted the need to strengthen the resilience of communities against major disasters. It also warned of severe risks to children's health, well-being and protection during the monsoon season unless urgent humanitarian needs are met.

The aid organizations Plan International, Save the Children, UNICEF and the World Vision carried out the consultations together in which 1,838 children were consulted in total in the 14 most affected districts by the earthquakes on April 25 and May 12.

A joint press release issued Saturday said that children shared their top priorities as adequate shelter, to be able to return to school and to have access to safe water supplies, sanitation and health care. Girls and boys described the difficulties of living in temporary shelters that are neither water or wind-proof in the aftermath of the earthquakes.

Save the Children's Humanitarian Advisor and author of the report Lucia Withers said"Tens of thousands of children are living in inadequate shelters. Despite efforts to help earthquake- affected communities, it is still a race against time to provide basic needs of shelter, sanitation and protection."

Children suggested that schools be run in tents or other temporary shelters until new schools have been built and called upon the government to replace the books, stationery and other school materials that were buried under the rubble of their homes.

They also called for stronger protection for themselves and other children in their communities.

UNICEF Deputy Representative Dr. Rownak Khan said"These children have provided us with valuable insights that could have been missed by adult eyes. These suggestions now need to guide our programs in the rest of the country to better prepare all communities in Nepal for impending disasters."