According to the Philippine Inquirer (October 28th, 2008) the Commission On Human Rights has described the evacuation centers for children as "deplorable". Children are approximately two-thirds of the 500,000 (or more) people forced from their homes due to fighting and terrorism in Southern Mindanao. It is said that superficially the children laugh and play but at night comes the trauma. (nightmares, fear, insomnia, crying, etc)Many more than the half a million civilians are affected horribly by the War. Trauma related symptoms are rampant.
Frequently the children have no mats, bedding or pillows and most are in open areas and are covered by insect bites.A few can still go to school and they are the lucky ones for some schools have running water and the children can bathe at school. Those children left all day at the evacuation centers are dirty and many have skin diseases.
Many return home only to hurry back to the evacuation center when either danger and conflict or fear overtake the family. The Department of Social Welfare, the Military, The Dept Of National Defense and other Agencies are assessing whether most or all families can return home safely by the end of the year. No matter what, the atrocities and dangerous experiences of so many children will stay with them for a long time to come. Diagnosable Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is expected in a good number of these displaced children. Hopefully, help will be available to those in need in the future.
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