New school year brings fresh fear for Myanmar children
Hundreds of thousands of children in Myanmar face new dangers as the new school year begins and they return to buildings ravaged by Cyclone Nargis.
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Children sheltering in a school damaged by Cyclone Nargis
PHOTO: REUTERS/ Stringer (courtesy www.alertnet.org) | Only a handful of the 3,000 schools destroyed or severely damaged by the cyclone have been repaired, leaving 360,000 children in affected areas without a safe place to learn.
Unsafe school buildings, a shortage of teachers and lack of trained professionals to offer emotional support to those who have been traumatised by the disaster, all put children returning to school at risk.
Plan action
Plan is already working with local partners to deliver anti-diarrhoea, anti-bacterial and anti-malarial drugs, bandages and saline drips as well as emergency non-food items such as shelters, mosquito nets, axes and sarongs.
Ensuring children return to school safely is a key priority for Plan. It has extensive experience of using schools and other safe spaces to help children recover from disasters, including the 2004 tsunami, and the earthquakes in Yogyakarta, Indonesia and Pakistan.
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Help us assist those affected
Please donate to the Burma emergency appeal by making an online donation.
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