Unicef to help heal psychological trauma of tsunami victims

Unicef is reaching out to about one lakh children in 13 districts in Tamil Nadu to help them recover from the psychological trauma of the tsunami disaster

"Some of these children have seen their parents, siblings and friends die and may have been separated from their family. The survivors' physical wounds should heal quickly given proper care, however, the psychological damage could be permanent if we do not quickly give the children the help they need to be happy again," Cecilio Adorna, Unicef's representative in India, said.

According to a press release, Unicef is partnering with Nehru Yuva Kendra (NYK) and collaborating with the state government's secretary for Social Welfare and the Department of Education for the effort.

The children will be helped to cope with fear, insecurities and anxieties so that they can get back to normal childhood activities such as play and schooling at the earliest possible time.

In the first two days of the pilot project, Unicef trained 23 NYK volunteers who began working with affected children from Cuddalore. A training programme involving an average of 120 volunteers per district will be rolled out in all 13 affected districts. In addition, Unicef will extend the project to three affected districts in Andhra Pradesh.

Technical support will be provided by Bangalore-based National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (Nimhans). The Union government is working closely with Unicef to establish normal schooling and care situations for children as fast as possible.