Action needed to protect tsunami child victims - UNICEF
UNICEF Ireland has said that measures to protect children in the tsunami affected region of Asia from exploitation, abuse, and criminal trafficking are needed immediately to prevent them from slipping between the cracks.
UNICEF Ireland, Executive Director Maura Quinn said that: "The good news is that most of the needed efforts are already underway".
"But we have to move fast," she added. "Those who would prey upon children in this chaotic environment are already at work."
UNICEF Ireland said the most vulnerable of the Tsunami generation are those who have lost their parents or have been separated from their families.
While no reliable figures yet exist, estimates based on the numbers of dead and displaced suggest there may be thousands of children across the region that fall into these categories.
Surveys now underway will help identify the scope of the issue in the next week or so.
