The following issues can apply to both natural events and man-made conflict:
• Population relocation • Loss of hope • Exploitation by business • No political will to address the crisis • Internal and external prejudice • Lack of resources Examples of challenges
• Lack of recognition of play and its importance
• Disparate approaches • Lack of understanding of cultural issues • Family issues • Hostile and unsafe physical environments.
A range of possible actions
Location and characteristics Unhealthy and unsafe spaces Unhygienic spaces Physical hazards (rubbish, broken glass, diseased animals)
• Identify hazards in the local environment in partnership with the community and children while selecting safe spaces for children’s use (in many programmes, children are actively engaged in Hazard Vulnerability Analysis (HVA) through their clubs to monitor and improve their living conditions) • Site selection must consider the communicable disease environment (e.g. prevalence of malaria due to open still water sources in hot-humid climates) • Play spaces and general areas need to be regularly cleaned to create a sense of freedom and safety • Consider physical alterations, which may need to be made to improve environmental health (i.e. restricting access to fast flowing water, areas of standing water which may provide breeding places for mosquitoes and road systems).
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SECTION 1
Impacts across both natural and man-made events are often consistent, with community displacement and disparate or uncoordinated responses key features. There is often a consistent lack of recognition of the importance of play, which can result in a limited response in terms of resources.
Information for everyone working in situations of crisis
5. Overcoming the challenges to playing in situations of crisis
