Children and Humanitarian Assistance in South Asia

What do children in South Asia want after a disaster? And what they receive makes any impact? This issue address these questions. The enhanced vulnerability of children to the detrimental impacts of disasters and emergencies now qualifies as conventional wisdom in various humanitarian circles. Almost 70% of the affected population of a disaster or extreme event are children. Consequently, a lot of government and humanitarian agencies have taken up the cause of protecting and promoting the rights of children to safety and security. Some of the best thinkers, researchers, experts, and activists explore the linkages between children and humanitarian assistance.

This issue of Southasiadisasters.net focuses on the theme of 'Children and Humanitarian Assistance in South Asia'. South Asia consistently ranks as one of the most disaster prone regions of the world as a result of which a lot of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) operations are concentrated in this region. However, children which comprise a third of the total 1.72 billion people in South Asia are rarely engaged as active stakeholders in the dialogue around disaster risk reduction. This issue's contents includes: (i) City, Child and Risk in India: A View; (ii) Children and Youth – "Don't Decide My Future without Me"; (iii) Commitment to Safe Schools; (iv) Training on Child-Centred Risk Assessment; (v) Odisha Leads Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation in India; (vi) Adaptation and Disaster Resilience in INDCs of India; (vii) Rebuilding after Typhoon Yolanda; (viii) Typhoon Committee's Role in Implementing Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction; (ix) Droughts in India and Saritsa Foundation's Contribution to Prepare People in India; (x) START: Two Decades of Impact in Asia; (xi) Role of Sphere India in Coordination in J&K Flood Response; (xii) Responsible Inc., and (xiii) 10 Years Later: Reviewing Recovery of Tsunami Affected Women from India.

This issue highlights the need and techniques of engaging children as active stakeholders in shaping DRR policies and practices in South Asia. An inclusive approach to DRR which makes the voices of children count would make humanitarian assistance and disaster relief more effective and efficient in the region.