Children who lost their parents in the tsunami tidal wave at an orphanage shelter in Nagapattinam, in Tamil Nadu on Jan. 5. (Photo: AFP)

In a span of a few days the tsunami disaster in South and South East Asia has left thousands of children orphaned. In a region where children in the poor families in any case get a raw deal, the catastrophe’s consequences are bound to be even more worrisome. The idea that thousands of them will grow up overwrought by psychological trauma and grief which they don’t even fully grasp is a serious international challenge.

Reports that requests for adoption from around the world of some of these children are pouring in are quite heartening. But at this stage of the tragedy, it might be counterproductive to subject them to emotional, cultural and geographical dislocation. Child psychologists say most children tend to internalize their trauma of having lost their parents suddenly. It takes a long time for many of them to come to terms with their death. To expose such children to completely alien culture, however well-intentioned, is not considered advisable.

As children battle a terrible loss of parents and home, there is a new danger lurking round the corner. Kidnappers and child traffickers are on the prowl in some of the affected region, according to media reports.

This, in turn, increases the responsibilities of surviving family members as well as the governments in question. Since life is not at a premium in many of the countries affected by the disaster, it is conceivable that sooner or later these children will be forgotten. There is a real danger of some of them falling prey to influences that would be self-defeating for the society they live in. It is possible that some of these orphans would become a convenient target of radical religious groups always on the look out for those vulnerable.

It is disconcerting that thousands of children, many of whom may possess exceptional talents, are faced with such terminal uncertainty in the aftermath of the disaster.

Given the economic conditions of many of them it is possible that they would grow up on the margins of society, leading a virtually inconsequential existence that millions of others do. In a sense, the disaster offers the world an opportunity to develop an international strategy that protects children from unfortunate consequences of natural calamities as well as man-made conflicts.

In Sri Lanka, for instance, the separatist Tamil Tiger guerrillas are known to recruit children into their cause and arm them at a very young age. The area where the Tamil Tigers operate was one of the hardest hit by the tsunamis. Orphans in the region could well become a happy hunting ground for the separatist rebels. It is equally possible that in Indonesia, where radical Islam has grown in influence recently, orphans of the tsunamis could attract extremist preachers.

Most international conflicts such as the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, which also created a large number of orphans, have been ignored for their devastating impact on children. Five years into the much talked about the 21st century, the world community can resolve to never to let children become hapless victims of tragedies.

With the financial aid pouring in hundreds of millions of dollars for the tsunami victims, it might be well worth to consider creation of a permanent international children’s fund.

The much abused cliche that children are leaders of tomorrow ought not to remain just a piece of conversation. One of the most enduring lessons to learn from the tsunami disaster would be to set up non-partisan, non-religious and non-political systems that the children of the world can depend upon in the event everything else fails. In this context India and the United States could take the lead in firming up a new strategy for children worldwide. After all we do not want an army of traumatized, aggrieved children around the world.