What the children of quake-stricken Nepal really need

A Nepalese child having a meal at a camp set up in the wake of the devastating earthquake in Nepal. Photo: AFP

The children of Nepal don’t need saviours, but they do need advocates.

The image of a small boy of about four, sitting by a roadside, hugging and sheltering his baby sister, quickly became a social media emblem of the 7.8 earthquake that struck Nepal on April 25. An estimated 1.7 million children have been directly affected by the disaster, and the viral photograph seemed to perfectly encapsulate their situation. Desperate, vulnerable and alone.