One year after the DANA, more than 30% of the children affected are still afraid of rain and storms

'We must draw conclusions after the situation that occurred after the DANA and put children and teenagers in the centre, from a global perspective that takes into account their rights as priority element, and that gives them word. Like this, we will be able to talk about true and integral participation of children in the decision-making', has pointed out María Jesús Perales, professor of the Department of Research Methods and Educational Diagnosis at the Universitat de València and one of the participants in this research.

'When it thunders I get very nervous and I can't sleep' says a 9 year old child from Paiporta, one of the areas most affected by the DANA that devastated the ValencianCommunity a year ago. Its testimony is included in the report With mud in the backpack, which has also included professionals from social services, education, NGOs and policymakers. According to the research, approximately a 24% of Valencian affected children still have trouble sleeping and more of 30% admits being scared of the rain, storms or thunder.

The professors that have taken part in the report were also on Monday's event: Margarita Bakieva, María Jesús Perales and Joan M. Senent (Department of Research Methods and Educational Diagnosis), Piedad Sahuquillo (Education Theory), as well as Yohara Quílez, in representation of Save the Children.

The report states that there have been changes in the behaviour of these children: more anxiety or persistent stress and screen dependency as escape mechanism. Teenagers show difficulty concentrating (12.4%), spend more time on electronic devices (11.0%) and prefer social isolation (7.0%). Research warns that social and emotional support for children and teenagers has been severely deficient, and that everything has been left to their resilience capacity. Currently, families main concern (45.7%) is the emotional state of their children.

Half of the families (52.4%) admit that their children have suffered a delay in learning. 'In any emergency, such as the one we are experiencing in Valencia, it is crucial that schools reopen as soon as possible. In a context of crisis, going to school helps children to restore a sense of normality and hope', explains Rodrigo Hernández, director of Save the Children in the region.

School is not only a place for learning: it also provides essential services such as school meals, which are vital for many families with limited resources. On October 2024, more than 18,000 children from areas affected by the DANA depended on a canteen scholarship. 'Keep it opened after an emergency guarantees a healthy diet for those who need it most', says Hernández.

Not being able to attend school has particularly affected the emotional (71.6%) and relational (33.3%) state of the students. 'After an emergency, the wounds that last longer are the psychological ones. In this case, we fell that the administration should have provided more safe, protective spaces where children and teenagers are treated well in order to reduce the psycho-emotional impact on these children,' emphasises Rodrigo Hernández.

Children and teenagers from the municipalities affected by the DANA have stopped doing sports (45.4%), outdoors (28.0%), recreational or cultural (25.0%) and extracurricular (24.7%).

Full report 'With mud in the backpack' here.

Annexed captions:

Presentation of the report With mud in the backpack, on Monday at the Faculty of Philosphy and Educational Science of the Universitat de València.