UNICEF relief workers on the ground in
Bam say that children who escaped the earthquake are still facing a major
struggle to survive. Families have been torn apart and a significant number
of children left unaccompanied with no caregivers since last Friday's earthquake.
Many of these vulnerable children are suffering from shock and trauma,
and UNICEF is providing psychosocial counselling, as well as other help
such as health care and warm clothing.
One example of this is the child pictured
in the photo, sitting down quietly with a blanket around her after rescuers
had found her alive but completely alone. The little girl didn't hesitate
in taking chocolate bars and fruit juices from the caring hands of the
doctor treating her wounds, but she was unable to tell anyone what her
name was and whether her parents were alive. She stared at everyone, visibly
traumatized and unable to utter a single word.
"The psychological impact of an event like this can be enormous for children," said Carol Bellamy, Executive Director of UNICEF. She added that UNICEF would work with partners and government not only to help children survive and reunite them with their families, but to address their trauma.
UNICEF has already provided educational materials to start up temporary schools. Ms Bellamy noted that in recent major earthquakes, UNICEF worked quickly to open child-friendly spaces and re-start learning. "Restoring some sense of normalcy is vital for traumatized children," she said. "It's an important first step in their longer-term recovery. And it gives the community something positive to rally around."
Thousands of children are without proper clothing and shelter, exposing them to severe cold at night. Cases of diarrhoea are on the rise as children drink dirty water. And the clean-up effort in devastated Bam is kicking up so much dust that children are beginning to suffer from acute respiratory infections. (Before the quake, one in four Iranian children suffered already from acute respiratory diseases). A surveillance system has been set up with the help of the UN to track the spread of illness.
"It's one thing to have survived the quake itself," said Ms Bellamy. "The new challenge is ensuring these children survive the cold and illness now stalking them."