Save the Children calls for safe places for children in China

Through reports of 14,866 dead, and rising, Save the Children calls for safe places for children and their families to take cover.

One of Save the Children’s priorities in emergencies is to keep children affected by the disaster safe with a community they are familiar with and with people their know. These areas can also ensure their basic needs for food, water and shelter are met and introduce a routine of normal activities back into their lives as quickly as possible. Opportunities for play, education and to express themselves in a variety of ways are critical in helping children overcome their experiences.

This is why the charity is calling for safe and supportive areas for children to play, learn and meet with other children within their local communities. The areas could also give support to parents who need to recover from family loss or to be out of their homes to start to rebuild their lives.

Zhong Hang, Director of Support Services for Save the Children in China, said: “These are dangerous times for children with shifting rubble, thousands of people wandering homeless and aftershocks from the quake still reminding them of the disaster they’ve been through. These children desperately need to have a safe area they know they can go to for some sense of normality and help to overcome the enormity of what they’ve just experienced”

“Today we’ve sent a team into the area to do an assessment of the impact this disaster has had on children in order to start work setting up safe areas for them and their families. With areas near this epicentre still uncovered, reports of up to 80% of buildings destroyed, and rain and landslides adding to this, we fear the news they’ll report back with will not be good”

The government has now sent in 50,000 rescue troops and have allocated $100 million to the response effort.

None of Save the Children’s 150 staff in China were injured during the quake


-ENDS-

For more information and interviews please contact the Save the Children media unit on:

Tel - +44 207 012 6841 / +44 7831 650 409
Email - media@savethechildren.org.uk

Save the Children is the world's independent children's charity. We're outraged that millions of children are still denied proper healthcare, food, education and protection. We're working flat out to get every child their rights and we're determined to make further, faster changes. How many? How fast? It's up to you. For further information about our work please visit http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/


Kate Redman
PR Manager
Press Office
Save the Children UK
1 St John's Lane, London, EC1M 4AR
+44(0) 207 012 6863

k.redman@savethechildren.org.uk

We’re the world’s independent children’s charity. We’re outraged that millions of children are still denied proper healthcare, food, education and protection. We’re working flat out to get every child their rights and we’re determined to make further, faster changes. How many? How fast? It’s up to you. For further information about our work please visit www.savethechildren.org.uk

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