Media urged to highlight children’s views on disasters

Monday 19 Sep 2011
The news media have been urged to raise disaster awareness among children to mark the UN International Day for Disaster Reduction on 13 October.

The UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) is encouraging broadcasters to produce special radio and television programmes about children and disasters, including talk shows, so that the views of children can be heard.

To mark the day, UNISDR and its partners are inviting children worldwide to step up for disaster risk reduction and express their views on what can be done to make the world safer from disasters.

UNISDR says more than 66 million children are affected every year by floods, typhoons and other disasters.

On 13 October many events will be held around the world.

In Bangkok, UNISDR and its partners will join the ASEAN Day for Disaster Management (AADM), the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), the ASEAN Secretariat and the South Association of Countries (SAARC) and stage a major awareness raising event with children at the UN building in ESCAP.

Children from 10 Asian Pacific countries will share their experiences on how they cope with disasters.

Winners of two children’s competitions held by ASEAN will be invited to join a round table dialogue with disaster managers and other children participants and voice their concerns about their vulnerabilities to disasters and what can be done to improve their resilience.