Plan acts as children flee Pakistan fighting
Plan's focus in Pakistan is setting up child-friendly spaces for displaced children at support camps.
May 18, 2009
Expressing serious concern for the large number of children fleeing Pakistan fighting, Plan has released US$100,000 of emergency funds to help an estimated 2 million displaced people.
Children are believed to make up close to 70 percent of the population flooding into refugee camps and towns as a result of the conflict between Taliban and government forces in the North West Frontier Province. Plan has voiced serious concern over the lack of special arrangements made for the large number of extremely vulnerable and traumatized children.
Addressing the needs of traumatized children
Because the majority of humanitarian organizations and government functionaries will be primarily focusing on the provision of food and non-food items to displaced families within the camps, Plan will use its experience and knowledge in disaster response to give special emphasis to child protection and psychosocial issues confronting at least 10,000 affected children.Priorities will include setting up child-safe and friendly areas in the camps and providing early intervention psychosocial support to children and their caregivers — approaches that proved successful in the Pakistan earthquake of 2005.
These child-friendly spaces will provide a safe and healthy environment where children can receive nutritional meals and participate in activities, routines and play opportunities essential to their early recovery and rehabilitation. Centers will also serve as an entry point for promoting health and hygiene campaigns to families.
Help provide a safe place for the children
“Most of these people, including children and women, are in a state of shock from the firing and shelling they have experienced,” said the Country Director of Plan in Pakistan, Haider Waseem Yaqub.“Children are the most vulnerable as they have lots of needs. They are under great trauma and need special attention but there are no special arrangements for them. There are lots of girls and boys who now have no safe place to go.”
Donate today to help provide immediate relief to children and their families affected by disasters.
