Psychosocial Care and Protection of Tsunami-Affected Children: Guiding Principles

Exposure to natural disasters has a devastating impact on the psychological and social wellbeing
of children, adolescents and adults. It is now widely accepted that early psychosocial
interventions that help to mitigate the effect of trauma, alleviating psychological distress, and
strengthen resiliency must be an integral part of humanitarian assistance. In the case of
children and adolescents, psychosocial interventions also aim to maintain or re-establish their
normal development process. The broad framework for planning and implementing
psychosocial programs is provided by a) the relevant Articles of the Convention on the Rights
of the Child, and b) UNHCR Guidelines on Protection and Care of Refugee Children.