Shafaqna English- Over 8,000 children and adolescents in the province of East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, are unable to attend school and face growing risks to their safety after the earthquake, according to Save the Children.
More than 900 homes have been damaged by the earthquake and numerous aftershocks. In addition, at least 87 schools and 18 health centres are among the infrastructure affected. The earthquake has also struck communities already struggling with drought linked to the El Niño phenomenon and volcanic risks associated with Mount Lewotobi, compounding its impact on children’s health, education and psychosocial well-being.
Save the Children, together with the local organisation CIS (Circle of Imagine Society) Timor, is assessing the needs of families to launch relief efforts. The organization’s priorities include restoring access to education and supporting families’ livelihoods.
“Children are among those most at risk,” stressed Fadli Usman, Director of Humanitarian Response and Resilience at Save the Children Indonesia, warning that the immediate response will need to be accompanied by longer-term measures to address loss, malnutrition, child labor, early marriage and other child-protection risks.
Source: Vatican News