‘Let’s Get Back to our Routine’: Listening to children who were affected by Central Sulawesi earthquake and tsunami

On 28th September 2018, a powerful earthquake of 7.4M dramatically changed the lives of many children and adolescents in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. The earthquake triggered a chain reaction, causing a tsunami, liquefaction, and landslides across Palu, North Donggala, and Sigi. Hundreds of thousands of people have been affected, more than 2,000 people have lost their lives, and more than 130,000 people remain displaced from their homes. Houses, hospitals, and schools have been severely damaged or destroyed, disrupting essential services and education.

Since the onset of the emergency, many different needs assessments have been completed to inform response and recovery programmes. However, none of these have given children the opportunity to share their views, needs, and experiences. Although they are often the most vulnerable and most affected in emergency context, children and adolescents are generally the least, and last, to be consulted.

This participatory study was commissioned to listen to children, adolescents, and caregivers who were affected by the Central Sulawesi Earthquake and Tsunami. It was carried out in November-December 2018. It was undertaken to strengthen child engagement in line with Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS) which require the identification of children’s needs and priorities to help inform programming (both in the short term and longer-term) as well as child-centered advocacy. The publishers hope that the findings will improve both preparedness and emergency responses in Central Sulawesi and elsewhere.