How are children affected by natural disasters?
More than anyone else, children are the ones suffering the most from the devastating effects of natural disasters. When a disaster occurs, parents struggle to calm the nerves of their injured children, many of whom are inevitably traumatized or in a state of shock. The loss of loved ones and the trauma of going through such terrifying experiences leave deep emotional scars. Even once the immediate relief operation is over, children still require a lot of assistance. Educational facilities are often destroyed and many children are left with little support, while parents are inevitably involved in cleaning and other recovery activities. As a consequence, children are found to be emotionally struck by the tragedy, and exhibit behavior including crying, fear, and inability to communicate and express their reactions and emotions to the event.
