Be Sensitive to Children Returning to School After Disaster – Many Have Witnessed the Ordeal Firsthand

 In the face of the current disaster situation, health and child protection agencies have revealed several extremely important facts regarding affected children and their mental health. Specifically, Ms. Shanika Malalgoda, Director (Planning/Information) of the National Child Protection Authority, disclosed that a fraudulent racket is operating to collect information on children who have lost their parents due to floods and landslides.

Authorities are strongly urging the public to refrain from providing children's personal information and photographs to traffickers who approach under the guise of offering aid to affected children, especially through social media platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, and Messenger. They also warn against sharing such information with any external individual or group.

Providing children's information to unknown individuals who claim to offer aid can place these children in a highly vulnerable situation, potentially harming their future and self-esteem. She emphasized that if information about children must be provided, it should only be given to the Grama Niladhari (village officer) of the respective area, the National Child Protection Authority, or officials of the Department of Probation and Child Care. Furthermore, it has been advised that the guardianship of a child cannot be transferred to anyone illegally; it must occur through court proceedings. Therefore, the public is urged to refrain from handing over children to outsiders. She requested that anyone witnessing a suspicious incident call 1929.

Meanwhile, with schools reopening on December 16th, Dr. Vindya Wijebandara, a Consultant Psychiatrist at the National Institute of Mental Health, emphasized that teachers must act with great sensitivity towards children. Some children may have lost their parents or relatives in this disaster, while others may be traumatized from witnessing the calamity firsthand or through media. Therefore, she urged teachers to welcome children returning to school with affection,

allow them to attend school in appropriate attire, and refrain from getting angry or scolding them.

It is especially crucial to encourage children appearing for the Advanced Level examination, which was interrupted, and provide them with the necessary psychological support to prepare for it. The doctor also advised that if anyone receiving treatment for mental illnesses has had their clinic card destroyed due to the disaster, they should not consider it a problem but instead come to the National Institute of Mental Health to continue their treatment. She also pointed out that journalists who reported on the disaster situation could also suffer from mental stress due to continuously witnessing these events, making it important for them to take breaks.

Ms. Yamuna Ellawala, Community Medical Specialist at the Mental Health Unit of the Ministry of Health, stated that both those affected by the disaster and others should avoid becoming distressed by watching disaster scenes on television and social media. She further added that if anyone experiences mental health issues, support can be obtained by calling the 1926 hotline.