Feature: Nepal children most prone to post-traumatic disorders after deadly quake

More than 27 million Nepalese are now struggling to bring back normalcy to their lives after the trauma that they experienced from the massive earthquake that hit Nepal on Saturday with thousands killed and injured and wide swathes of the Himalayan nation still in rubbles.

Almost a week after the 7.9-magnitude earthquake, some 100 strong aftershocks added to the anxiety and deep psychological problem among the survivors, particularly children.

Reports said that more than 5,000 have been killed by the quake with thousands still missing.

After the huge quake, thousands of families, along with their children, have been forced to live in open spaces and streets of the city. And every time there is a tremor, the children would panic and cry. This traumatic experience among children has alarmed authorities.

"We cannot get fresh reactions from children over the disaster, but it can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)," Mausami Shrestha, a psychiatrist at the Nepal Medical College, told Xinhua.

Shrestha said that the children are the most affected by the aftershocks and would need extra attention and medical care.

"Children are prone to have panic disorders since they usually could not sleep and even if they sleep, there are high chances of their having nightmares," the psychiatrist said.

Shrestha said that anxiety and other systems of a nervous disorder can be exhibited by children even after they return to normal environment.

Rudra Pangeni, a quake survivor, told Xinhua that her three- year-old daughter has kept on asking her if they are going to die because of the continuous aftershocks.

"Every time there is a tremor, my child would cry and hold on to me asking me to protect her," Rudra said. "I'm really afraid of the effect of this disaster on my young daughter."

She said she could only tell her daughter that everything will be all right and there is no reason to panic, but she added that she did not really know if her daughter understood what she said.

"I only hope that her traumatic experience would heal as she grows older and the quake would just be part of her memories," Rudra said.

According to UNICEF, around 1.7 million children are now in urgent need of aid in areas worst-hit by the earthquake.

"The lives of so many children have been torn apart and they are in desperate need of life-saving support, including clean water, shelter and sanitation, not to mention psychological support," Tomoo Hozumi, UNICEF Nepal Representative, said on Wednesday.

Although relief distribution programs are accessible in the capital where essential items such as food, water and medicines as well as tents are available, children in districts outside of the Kathmandu Valley are still not being attended to.

There are still areas of Nepal hit by the quake that have not been reached by rescue and relief assistance teams.

Without safe water supply, waterborne diseases remain huge risks for children. Also there has been lack of nutritious foods as packets of instant noodles are the only food given to the victims and their children. Hundreds of survivors, including children, are still living in open areas amid cold weather.

Garbage has been piled up in the streets since the last few days in the capital, creating more chances of the spread of diseases.

During the last few days, torrential rains have continued to pour in most parts of Kathmandu, aggravating the already dire situation in the capital.

Prajita Timalsena, a mother of two, told Xinhua that she is really worried about her kids. "They no longer want to watch their favorite cartoon shows in Indian channels nor play outdoor games," she said.

Prajita said that she wished the situation would normalize so that she and her family can resume a normal life. "I just want everything to settle down soon so that I can send my kids back to school," she said.

Following the quake, the government had immediately decided to close all the educational institutions for a week, and later extended the closure for 10 more days.

Parents are hoping that the resumption of classes could help their children forget their traumatic experience and be able to live normal lives again.

Around 32 percent of the total population of Nepal is composed of children not over 14 years old. Endi