The devastating earthquake that struck Türkiye and Syria on February 6, 2023, has left many children vulnerable and was particularly devastating for Syrians, who were already dealing with the challenges of displacement and violence. The need to support children and caregivers in the aftermath of this disaster to recover from the trauma experience cannot be overstated. A collaboration between UNODC, the University of Manchester, the University of Oxford, and the WHO has produced an opinion piece published in The Lancet Psychiatry that sets out actionable steps to be taken.
One key focus in this piece is that supporting caregivers during a crisis is an essential protective factor against emotional and behavioral problems in children. Caregivers who have survived the earthquake will likely be dealing with their trauma and the challenges of providing necessities. According to the WHO guidelines, there is also an emphasis on the need for evidence-based parenting interventions or broader evidence-based interventions with a parenting component accessible to all parents and caregivers of children aged 0-17 years.
The piece advocates for the use of interagency models of intervention, which are based on a pyramid structure. At the bottom of the pyramid are brief, light-touch universal resources available to everyone. More specialized provision exists at the top of the pyramid for those with more significant needs. For example, interagency efforts have established caregiver resources for crisis contexts that are evidence-based and of varying intensities, which can be found on the UNODC’s dedicated earthquake response page.
In affected cities in Türkiye and Syria, many caregivers will be at a complete loss of how to respond to their children's emotional and behavioral challenges, and there is a need for states to support parents and guardians in caring for children, as indicated in the Convention on the Rights of The Child. Doing so can strengthen parent-child relationships and children and families' health, safety, and resilience.
The collaboration between UNODC, the University of Manchester, the University of Oxford, and WHO highlights the urgent need to support children and caregivers in the aftermath of the earthquake. This piece provides a roadmap for action that emphasizes the importance of evidence-based interventions, interagency collaboration, and supporting caregivers. By following these recommendations, we can ensure that children and caregivers receive the support they need to recover from this devastating disaster.
Read the Opinion Piece here: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(23)00060-3/fulltext