World Vision warns that children separated from family in
the aftermath of Nepal’s devastating flash floods are at
risk of trafficking and exploitation.
The
child-focused aid agency says many children are living in
evacuation centres and temporary shelters, unsure whether
relatives are alive or when they may be able to return
home.
World Vision New Zealand National Director TJ
Grant says with so many separated children sheltering it’s
vital to have robust family tracing and child protection
measures in place.
“Children who have survived the
floods and who are separated from family are very vulnerable
right now. We need robust child protection and family
reunification systems in place to ensure that children are
not separated again, or worse trafficked and exploited.
Every reunification must put a child’s safety first and we
must focus on restoring and strengthening local child
protection systems.”
In partnership with government
authorities, World Vision is mobilising protection teams,
along with providing emergency food, shelter kits, safe
drinking water, and hygiene and dignity kits for women and
girls.
The flash floods have killed more than 1,000
people, with 4,000 still missing. It’s estimated that a
further 50,000 people have been impacted, including 17,000
children. Some communities are still isolated due to washed
out roads and bridges.
World Vision Nepal National
Director, Roslyn Gabriel, says it’s vital to meet
immediate physical needs while restoring safety and
stability.
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“Children have survived a terrifying
disaster, and they need to know who they can trust, where
they will sleep and whether they will see their families
again. Our focus is on reaching the families most in need
while ensuring that displaced and separated children are
protected throughout the relief and recovery process,” she
says.
Gabriel says as children and families grapple
with the devastation left behind by the floods, the impact
on children’s wellbeing will endure long after the waters
recede.
She says sudden displacement, the loss of
homes, schools and communities, and separation from
caregivers can leave children facing profound fear,
uncertainty and distress.
Gabriel says education must
be recognised as an urgent humanitarian priority because
schools help to provide a vital source of stability,
learning and support.
In the coming weeks, World
Vision plans to provide child-friendly spaces, temporary
learning centres, livelihood programmes, and repair
community water systems.
New Zealanders wanting to
support children and families affected by the flash floods
in northern Nepal can give here: www.worldvision.org.nz/Nepal-floods
