A Tearfund partner in Myanmar is drawing up plans to help children left traumatised by Cyclone Nargis, which has claimed up to 100,000 lives.
It’s feared thousands of youngsters across the country will require psychological support in the aftermath of the 2 May storm.
The cyclone’s 120 mph winds and massive tidal surge affected up to 2.5 million people.
Harrowing stories are emerging of people witnessing loved ones being swept away in flood waters and families being nearly wiped out.
One Christian partner, which is helping 50,000 people in the Irrawaddy and Yangon areas, is drawing up plans to help children traumatised by the cyclone.
A spokesman said, `Some very disturbing accounts are emerging from the cyclone and it looks as if major psycho-social work is going to be necessary.’
Tsunami book
One idea being looked at is publishing a book telling the story of the cyclone from a child’s perspective with the aim of helping young survivors come to terms with what has happened, particularly those who have lost family members.
A similar idea came out of the 2004 Asian tsunami when many children in Thailand and Sri Lanka were given a book called The Day the Tsunami Came.
It tells the story of the tsunami from the perspective of a boy who loses his dad when the wave hits his fishing village.