Monday 6 April 2009

Gareth Owen, Save the Children's Head of Emergencies, said: "Many children have been caught up in this and will be traumatised as a result. Some children have even become separated from their parents after fleeing their damaged homes so our first priority will be to ensure those children are reunited with their parents."

Save the Children has deployed a team of international staff who will conduct a rapid assessment of the situation, to identify how best to help children and their families affected by the earthquake.

Owen continued: "At the moment we expect our work to focus on providing children and their families with emotional support. The psychological effects may not be immediate and might take days to manifest themselves — the next few days will be crucial for these children."