Children who are facing psychological trauma after Tropical Cyclone Yasa can seek support from child-friendly spaces.

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is working with the Ministry of Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation and social workers to reach out to affected communities in the Northern Division.

UNICEF Pacific Deputy Representative, Vathinee Jitjaturunt said they had reached out to 38 affected villages and settlements and each would have a child-friendly space.

“The child-friendly space would be identified by the communities and it can be either at the school, church or village hall,” Ms Jitjaturunt said.

“Children who don’t want to go to school because they have problems like stress and want to talk about it can visit this space.”

She said the trained social workers, who had worked during Tropical Cyclone Harold in Viti Levu, were in the North to help set up the spaces.

Moreover, parents would be provided orientation on how to help their children to deal with stress.

“Children up to 18 years are included,” she said.

“We are also going to train teachers in schools on how to provide psychosocial support to students this week.”

She hoped that the initiative would help to bring things back to normalcy.

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