|TOP|World Vision’s first Child Friendly Space will benefit displaced children from Dolj County, Romania, the village most severely affected by the recent Danube floods.

Since the disaster hit the village, World Vision Romania has provided supplies to Rast inhabitants, consisting of furniture, toys, and school supplies, along with hygienic kits, blankets and tents.

Now with the Child Friendly Space (CFS), 86 children aged between four and six years will continue to play and learn together with their kindergarten teacher in a camp that currently shelters the 1,872 displaced residents from the village.

“This morning, children forgot about food and about their families when they saw the toys and all the educational supplies. Since the disaster hit us, it is the first time we could hear laughs again in Rast community,” said Nanu Aurelia, Rast kindergarten educator.

|AD|“The Child Friendly Space aims to ensure the education process continuity by reaching the entire community and re-establishing their daily routine as well as to provide all important child protection. The purpose is to limit the impact of the disaster on the children,” stated World Vision Romania Relief Manager Eugen Borlea.

Next month, children’s education, which includes CFS and donations of school supplies, toys, mattresses, games to equip CFS , will be a priority for World Vision. Another high priority will be continued cooperation with government departments and other NGOs (UNICEF, Save the Children) for a common educational activities plan for children in Dolj County.

Meanwhile, World Vision Romania has been informed that it will be likely that it will take at least three months before the evacuated people are able to return to their villages, if it is at all possible to return. Dolj local government authorities state that 9,727 people are displaced in Dolj County alone, many staying with relatives, in schools, hospitals, hostels and in military tents.

Two weeks on, a total of 3,956 people remain homeless due to the floods and many evacuees are now on ploughed ground where crops will soon start growing. Some 1,633 houses were flooded, 326 destroyed and 134 are at risk of collapsing any moment.