A press release from the National Board for Disaster Management (BNPB) said thatIndonesia is a vulnerable-to disaster-country. In the past 15 years, a number of disaster has increased by almost 20 fold. There havebeen more than 2,300 disastersin 2017. In the disasters, children are most likely to become victims, because they cannot save themselves. In addition, they also have the potential to experience physical and psychological trauma due to the limited basic needs fulfillment during the evacuation. The Indonesian Ministry for Women's Empowerment and Child Protection in cooperation with the National Board for Disaster Management (BNPB) held a Workshop with the theme "Child Protection in Disaster Emergency" in Jakarta, Tuesday (17/7). After opening the workshop, Minister for Women's Empowerment and Child Protection, Yohana Yembise said that the joint workshop of the Ministry and the board is a very strategic opportunity to discuss further in handling children and women issues in the disaster situation.
"Children's growth and their protection are lack of concern. This is a very strategic opportunity. Through the workshop, we can share experiences, best practices, which can be used between the two ministries and institutions, including our ministry in handling the women and children issues," said Yohana Yembise.
Minister Yohana Yembise further said, so far she realized that the handling of child protection in disaster situation has not been maximized. Therefore, the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection with the National Board for Disaster Management (BNPB) continue to improve children protection in the disaster situation, at the stage of mitigation, emergency response, rehabilitation and reconstruction. These include preventingacts of violence such as being the target of child trafficking. (VOI/REZHA/Trs/Nada/AHM)