Mississauga, ON—Children are among the most vulnerable survivors of Pakistan’s earthquake that killed an estimated 80,000 people and left three million homeless. While members of World Vision relief staff are rushing food, water and tents to these children and their families, they are also trying to ensure that children’s care and safety remains a priority in the midst of the chaotic recovery operation.

“Children are our priority in emergency situations and we integrate their care and protection into every sector of our response be it shelter, water, food, health, or education,” says Emmanuel Isch, emergency response director for World Vision Canada. “For example, when we distribute food it is usually given to mothers because we know it will get to their children. They won’t sell it on the market or use it to barter.”
 
In a disaster situation, children who have been orphaned or separated from their families can be exploited or neglected. World Vision’s child protection team members try to ensure that children are protected from harm, exploitation and possible forced recruitment in conflict zones. They also try to prevent children from being separated from their families during the crisis.

“Separation can happen in the days following a disaster, especially when children are treated at medical facilities without their parents, and when children were pulled from the rubble and their parents weren't around,” said Carol Toms, a child protection specialist with World Vision currently based in Islamabad, Pakistan. World Vision works to reunite separated children with their parents or other surviving community members.

Children are surprisingly resilient, says Toms. “They can recover from situations even as devastating as this earthquake with the right kind of care and support.”
For children who survived the earthquake to heal emotionally, says Toms, they need to have a normalized daily routine as quickly as possible. This helps them restore a sense of control. “We learned from our work during the Asian tsunami that children recover when they have a safe environment where they can be with other children and there’s a sense of normalcy. Our trained staff members provide grief counseling for children who need special care. But surprisingly few children actually need trauma care. Play is a form of work for children and it is quite therapeutic in helping them cope with what they’ve been through.”

In the earthquake zone’s shattered villages, World Vision is setting up 20 community centres known as child-friendly spaces. These centres are similar to those established by World Vision in tsunami-affected communities, in refugee camps in Darfur, Sudan, and in Bam, Iran after the 2004 earthquake. Up to 2,000 children a day will be cared for at the centres.

To date, World Vision has raised $2.0 million for the earthquake recovery response. The money is eligible for the federal government’s program that will match donations made to registered Canadian charities, like World Vision, until October 26th. Canadians wishing to contribute to World Vision’s earthquake response may call 1-800-268-5528 or click here to donate online.