Tsunami Disaster - Psychosocial Care for Children [PDF] - Nimhans

IMPACT OF THE DISASTERON CHILDRENChildren are vulnerable to the negative impacts of a disaster. Due to lack of experienceand maturity, they are unable to fully comprehend what has happened to them. Thereactions of the adults around them, the kind of loss that they have experienced, theamount of exposure to the trauma, the available support system, etc all determine the effect of thedisaster on the children.The tsunami that affected thousands of lives including that of children was unexpected andsudden, leaving children confused, shocked and frightened. In a moment, their whole world wasdisrupted. Some children were orphaned, some lost one parent, some lost their siblings, and somehad to adjust to a displaced life as they lost their homes. Some of the children live in the camps withlittle or no possessions and do not know when they can go back to their places and the adultsaround them are not in a position to provide much solace or comfort as they themselves are victimsof the killer waves. The normal daily routine is disrupted, and often there is no regular school,making it all the more difficult for the children to restore back to normal life.Children in their process of growth are presented with developmental tasks at certain agesthat they must achieve in order to move onto the next stage successfully. They need stability andmeeting of some basic needs to provide them the nurturance to develop into healthy adults. Adisruption of familiar routine and previously secure world leaves children as one of the most vulnerablegroups during and following a disaster.LOSSGiven below are the impacts of the tsunami on the children.F Loss of relationships: This can be with parents/siblings/caregivers like grandparents orother relatives, teachers, friends, neighbors or pet. Loss of relationship can be due to death of aperson, displacement, and absence since the person is away in a hospital or may still be missing.* 6-year-old boy who lost his mother and two siblings, “The sea mother came andtook away my mother, my sister and my brother. I want my mother. I miss my ‘amma’. I don’twant to go to school. I come here every evening beside my old house to see my mother, sisterand brother (he points out to a crow and two mynas) I know that the crow is none but mymother and the two mynas are my sister and my brother”.4 INFORMATION MANUAL 3: TSUNAMI PSYCHOSOCIAL CARE FOR CHILDREN