Effective disaster-relief for the most vulnerable

Programmes for children should have top priority because they are less able to recover on their own. 

As well as providing food, safe water, clothing, shelter, sanitation and health care, effective programmes should:

• Protect children from danger: such as violence, abuse and exploitation. Aim to set up child-friendly spaces in disaster relief areas where children have safe drinking water and sanitation facilities in a safe, learning place. Spaces developed with the community are more likely to last.
• Monitor the mental health of survivors: children, adolescents and mothers of young children. Symptoms of psychological trauma may be noted by teachers, indigenous healers, community health workers, food servers and others who know how to help children. Parents may see children’s behaviour change. Toddlers may cry constantly or be mute. They may be unresponsive to physical contact or show developmental regression and their play may be abnormal.
• Keep records: recording the changing status of individual children helps emergency staff support them in and after emergencies.
• Provide reliable carers:  ideally, carers are female, of the same ethnic group and language. Discreet supervision should ensure carers don’t verbally, physically or sexually abuse children.