Thousands of children in Odisha are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) more than a month after Cyclone Fani hit the state, according to a report by The Times of India.
The report states that in Puri alone, over 10,000 children below the age of 17 years are undergoing psychosocial counselling after they started showing PTSD symptoms like anxiety and insomnia. The damage due to the cyclone was the greatest in Puri, where it made its landfall.
For instance, 10-year-old Visakha Rao's face would light up every time someone mentioned the Puri beach. After the cyclone, however, even a mention of the beach sends a shiver down her spine, according to the report.
"We were without food, power and water for several days. I never want to live through that again," Soumendra, one of the children undergoing counselling, told the newspaper. The 12-year-old is scared of venturing out, and suffers from sleepless nights.