Friday Dec 12, 2025
Friday Dec 12, 2025
Friday, 12 December 2025 00:06 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) has warned of fraudulent moves of certain individuals and organisations offering help for displaced children due to the Ditwah disaster and requests to inform about such offers to the NCPA’s hotline.
“The Authority has noticed about messages circulating on social media claiming that certain individuals or organisations are willing to take full responsibility for the education, food, and care of displaced children due to Ditwah disaster until they turn 18. We see such offers as fraudulent and dangerous,” NCPA Chairman Preethi Inoka Ranasinghe said in a statement.
According to the NCPA, it will take strict legal action against anyone attempting to exploit children under the guise of assistance.
The Authority has urged the public to immediately report any such offers or suspicious activity to the 24-hour Child Helpline 1929.
Meanwhile, the NCPA has advised parents and guardians to contact Grama Niladharis, Regional Child Protection Officers, Child Rights Promotion Officers, District Child Protection Officers, District Mental Health Officers, or other authorised Government officials if they receive requests or offers of assistance concerning their children from unknown individuals or external organisations.
“They may also directly reach out to the NCPA via the 1929 hotline,” Ranasinghe said in the statement.
Appreciating the public for their support and cooperation, the NCPA stated that for those wishing to contribute to relief efforts for children affected by floods, landslides, and the cyclone, the donors should contact the NCPA, which will facilitate assistance through safe and approved channels.
The NCPA, in its statement, also emphasised the heightened risks faced by children in disaster-affected regions.
According to the Disaster Management Centre (DMC), 878 safe centres across 16 districts are currently sheltering over 86,040 people belonging to 27,145 families. Authorities note that the disaster has caused a profound disruption to the daily lives of both adults and children, many of whom have been separated from their homes, routines, and familiar environments.
The NCPA stated that children, in particular, are undergoing severe psychological stress, uncertainty about their future, and emotional trauma stemming from the loss of parents, relatives, or the absence of their usual school environment.
In such circumstances, the NCPA stressed that the protection of children living in safe centres, temporary shelters, homes, or any disaster-affected location must be prioritised.
The Authority has also emphasised that children could be vulnerable to physical, mental, or sexual abuse as well as neglect during periods of crisis and displacement.
It also stated that protecting children during disasters is a national responsibility and it is important to be vigilant to prevent child abuse and exploitation during this critical period.
