Ministry Highlights Importance of Disaster Education for Children

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Deputy for Child Protection at the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Nahar highlighted the importance of disaster education for children for reducing any potential negative impact that children may experience during a disaster.

"Disaster education is essential. Disasters can occur anytime and happen to anyone, and it is difficult to predict when they will occur," he said at a webinar on ‘Disaster Risk Reduction Socialization,’ which was accessed from here on Monday.

According to Nahar, many children become victims of disasters due to a lack of understanding about facing disasters and saving themselves.

"When a disaster occurs, children often become the major victims because of their inability to save themselves and their minimal experience in dealing with disasters," he said.

Indonesia is located in a disaster-prone area. Therefore, providing disaster education is crucial, he said.

Disaster education could be provided to children in school, including on how to save themselves and avoid accidents when a disaster occurs, he said.

In addition to the risk of physical trauma, children are also vulnerable to psychological trauma from losing a loved one or witnessing a natural disaster, which can affect their growth, he said.

“The traumatic experience of the loss of a loved one or witnessing a horrific event such as a natural disaster can cause trauma that can interfere with a child's physical, social, and mental development," he explained.

In addition, children are also vulnerable to exploitation, kidnapping, violence, and human trafficking, among others, following the loss of parental care, Nahar said.

For that reason, all parties need to participate in handling children during disasters by providing services to fulfill their rights, he added.

"This approach emphasizes the participation of all stakeholders from the state, parents, families, and communities in handling children during emergencies," he said.

Read: Ridwan Kamil to Invite Regional Heads for Disaster Handling Discussions

ANTARA