Children learn disaster safety skills

Centre for Disaster Preparedness and Management (CDPM), University of Peshawar (UoP), trained 650 children on disaster risk reduction, emergency response, and climate change mitigation. 

These advocacy events were part and parcel of the students’ course entitled ‘Child-Friendly Disaster Management’ at the BS 7th semester disaster management degree programme.

In a press statement, CDPM Director Prod Dr Zulfiqar Ali said that catastrophobic events have repeatedly and tragically demonstrated that children are one of the most vulnerable groups during a disaster.

Factors such as their age affect their vulnerability and shape their ability to cope and survive in a disaster context.

Apart from the physical threats to life, experiences of fear, violence, separation from parents and caregivers, exploitation and abuse are threats to their well-being and development.

Similarly, the loss of livelihood of their families can lead to homelessness and extreme poverty, he added.

Dr Mushtaq Ahmad Jan said that we used student-to-student risk communication methods to train children. He was of the view that children represent a significant portion of those who endure the devastating consequences of disasters.

Exposure to disasters can be a traumatic experience for children, affecting their future development potential.