How Local Governments Can Reach Traumatized Child Disaster Victims

Philip Willoughby

Going beyond the typical post-disaster needs of victims of fires, hurricanes, flooding, crime and other catastrophes, CEMO Coordinator Philip Willoughby says local government officials need to do more for our youngest during these tough times.

Philip Willoughby, Belize City Coordinator, CEMO

“There are several agencies in attendance today to see how we synchronize, collaborate, organize, network and so forth, as we try to bring back children affected between the ages of five to twelve who have suffered any trauma, who need psychosocial assistance or analysis and that is what we are here to focus on over the next five days.”

Reporter

“So that commitment is essentially to help these children, as you said, who are affected by disasters; and not just going to housing them, providing shelter; it’s goes beyond that, I gather?”

Philip Willoughby

“It goes way, way beyond that; I think it teaches us how to become teachers to these affected children, it teaches us to become secondary parents to these affected children, to provide that care and attention that they deserve and need at this point in time where they are or may have been affected by any disaster as I said, and just to get them over the hump and get them back to normalcy.”

The conference is taking place at the Belize Biltmore Plaza.