Source: World Vision New Zealand
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.
“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