Children will need special help to psychologically overcome the trauma from the destructive earthquake which rocked the central region of Abruzzo in the early morning hours of Monday, according to the international Save the Children organization.
''Children, and not just the injured, are the people who are most vulnerable in an emergency like this. They were awoken in the middle of the night at the height of the quake, forced to flee their homes and are now in a stake of shock,'' Save the Children Italy Director Valerio Neri explained.
''Some have lost contact with their parents and it is imperative that an identification system be established to reunite families,'' he added.
''The shutting down of schools in areas devastated by the earthquake will also be traumatic for children and everything must be done to restore their daily routines as quickly as possible,'' Neri said.
Save the Children has issued guidelines for adults in the treatment of children which, among other things, recommended that time be taken out to listen to children and to reassure them as much as possible.
Adults should take advantage of professional help in dealing with children, the charity said.
Parents were also told not to let their children spend too much time in front of the TV, especially during news broadcasts dealing with the earthquake.
