U.N. Survey Finds Many Tsunami Children Hopeful about Future

A recent survey conducted by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) indicated that children in India, Sri Lanka and Thailand feel hopeful about the future, while children in Indonesia are recovering slower.

A recent survey conducted by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) indicated that children in India, Sri Lanka and Thailand feel hopeful about the future, while children in Indonesia are recovering slower.

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Zulma Rahaya, 6 years old: ''I like it here (at child friendly centre). My parents bring me here because I learn here, I like playing with blocks and drawing.'' Zulma's aunt died in the tsunami. The centre's resources include children's books which deal w

For the survey, UNICEF Tsunami Relief Study – The Views of Affected Children, about 1,633 children in the four most-affected countries were interviewed about their thoughts and feelings on the disaster and their future. Surveyed children ranged in age from 8-17 years old and were all directly affected by the tsunami.

The data from the interviews show that despite the fact children are still living in the recovery phase and their lives continue to be affected by the tsunami, they display optimism and are hopeful about their future. According to the UNICEF survey, more than two-thirds of the children feel their situation has improved since the weeks immediately following the tsunami.

The study was conducted to better understand how children are affected by the disaster, to gain honest and authentic viewpoints directly from the children, and to improve programs to meet the needs of the tsunami generation.

Key findings from the survey include:

• Some 80 percent of children polled in India, Sri Lanka and Thailand are positive about their future. “Hopeful, happy, confident” are the words they use to describe their feelings. In Indonesia, children have the least optimistic view of the future; one-third believes their lives will not improve, possibly because a staggering 69 percent of those surveyed there had lost a family member.
• Many children are still afraid. More than half those surveyed in India and Sri Lanka fear another earthquake or tsunami, and 76 percent interviewed in Thailand fear the loss of a loved one. More than one-third of those polled in Indonesia said they often feel alone.
• Virtually all children interviewed were aware they benefited from relief assistance, but also felt that additional aid was needed. The children identified several key needs, most often mentioning support to stay in school, though 9 out of 10 identified themselves as back in school.

Christian groups working directly with tsunami children can benefit from the UNICEF studies, including World Vision, which supports close to 200 Child Friendly Spaces, 138 playgrounds, built 30 schools, and supports 134,000 children to return to school.