Children have endured three terrible weeks in Haiti, where three violent storms have left large areas flooded, hundreds of thousands homeless, and an estimated 328 people dead. For ActionAid, one of the most important steps in restoring normal life in shattered communities will be to get children back to school.

Children were torn from their families and many of them swept away by the rains and rivers as their parents tried to run for cover in the middle of the heavy downpour brought by hurricane Ike. The nation was shocked by TV images of over 30 children swept up by torrential waters in Cabaret, just north of the capital Port-au-Prince.

ActionAid’s country director in Haiti, Raphael Yves Pierre, called for the government, community organisations and the international community to consider the future of Haiti’s young and address the environmental causes of the frequent, severe flooding which afflicts the country.

He said: “It is time for the country to take its environment seriously. We cannot allow our children to remain at the mercy of the winds.”

Three ActionAid teams are working on a rehabilitation programme in the Southeast, Southwest and Central Plateau regions of the country, which will include counselling to help people recover from the shock of the disaster.

A “back to school” programme is being set up to ensure that parents and students are prepared for the reopening of classes in October. In 2007, ActionAid supported a similar programme in Cabaret after tropical storm Noel.

Schools have been mandatorily closed for a month while the government attempts to coordinate some kind of recovery.

ActionAid's head of emergencies, Roger Yates, said: “The most distressing thing for parents is the distress of their children. Helping children get back to school is one of the first steps in restoring normal life.”

Haiti is one of six countries where a long-term ActionAid programme is teaching schoolchildren how to survive disasters such as floods and storms, and helping them to understand the relationship between disasters and the environment. The Disaster Risk Reduction in Schools programme is supported by the Department for International Development.