Ridwan, 12, ran with his friends along the muddy streets of Kampung Poncol, Cireundeu, one of the areas affected by the Situ Gintung dam burst. Debris from destroyed homes littered the ground, and a putrid smell hung heavy in the air.

The disaster area has become the children’s playground since they took refuge in the hall of Muhammadiyah University of Jakarta – their temporary shelter since Friday’s catastrophe.

“Playing is the only thing we can do around here. We don’t have anything else to do,” Mardi, Ridwan’s friend, said Sunday, adding he did not know when they could go back to school.

Their school was decimated by the flash flood that also swept away their books and uniforms.

The Situ Gintung accident killed at least 99 people and flattened 319 homes. Some 450 survivors are now being housed at three shelters.

Irma S. Martam, general coordinator of PULIH, an NGO that deals with trauma healing, said that in the first few days, the children might not understand the impact of the disaster.

“They just play, just as children do,” she said.

“But when they the see suffering being drawn out and the lingering sadness of the people around them, they will slowly sense the grief, and that will be a source of stress for them.”

Children who have lost their parents will suffer the worst of the psychological trauma in the aftermath of the calamity, she added.

Irma also said that in many post-disaster cases, most parents of child victims were not able to give proper attention to their children because they were preoccupied finding means of supporting the family and dealing with their own grief.

“Child victims may suffer from the lack of attention. With no adults watching over them, they begin to find their own activities, such as playing,” she said.

However, playing in a disaster area can be very dangerous. With debris and a lack of sanitation, the children are prone to get hurt or fall ill.

On Tuesday, National Commission for Child Protection chairman Seto Mulyadi and a group of volunteers set up a post for child victims of the tragedy.

“This post is important to help the children heal their psychological trauma,” Seto said.

Rustam Pakaya, head of the Health Ministry’s Crisis Center, said Monday his office would send 10 teams of psychiatrists to help the Situ Gintung survivors deal with the trauma.

“There will be psychiatrists for the victims, including for the children,” he said. (mrs)

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