Overview and challenges
Situation The tsunami that hit six provinces in the south of Thailand on 26 December 2004 was an unprecedented natural disaster. It devastated more than 400 kilometres of coastline, killing nearly 9,000 people and destroying the livelihoods of some 35,000 families. The immediate effect on children was severe. Thousands died. More than 1,200 lost one or both parents. Thousands more were forced to move to temporary shelters. Over 200 schools serving 50,000 children lost teachers, pupils or buildings. As well as physical destruction, the disaster caused psychological suffering on a huge scale. The loss of loved ones and the trauma of going through such a terrifying experience has left deep emotional scars. Although the immediate relief operation is now over, children still require assistance.
Thousands have been made more vulnerable by the deaths of their parents, by economic hardships due to the loss of family livelihoods and by the disruption of traditional community protection systems. It is vital that the situation of these children is monitored to ensure that they are protected from all forms of exploitation and that they continue to enjoy their basic rights, including the rights to education, to shelter and to grow up in a loving family environment. The tsunami also highlighted long-standing but previously neglected problems in the affected communities. Of particular concern is the situation of children in minority and migrant communities, which have been marginalized for many years. Even before the tsunami, many of these children never went to school or lacked access to health care, birth registration services and legal protection. These problems will have to be addressed if we are to fulfill our part of the UN's commitments to "build back better" in tsunami-affected areas.
Key facts • The tsunami caused massive loss of life, destruction of property and livelihoods and psychological distress
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