The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) today announced plans to help hundreds of young survivors traumatized by this month's school massacre in southern Russia to "pick up the pieces" by supporting their psychological rehabilitation and restoring their faith in
schooling.

"We know from past experience that education is a great healer for children who have lived through traumatic events," Carel de Rooy, UNICEF Representative in the Russian Federation, said after visiting the town of Beslan, where 338 people were killed and 747 injured in the hostage taking. "For these children, their own school has become a place of terror.

"Most of the children we spoke to in the hospital, particularly the younger ones, do not want to go back to school, for obvious reasons. It is clear that they will need help to pick up all the pieces of their lives - their family life, their friendships and, very importantly, their schooling.

"It will only add to their tragedy if these children, who have already lost so much, also lose out on their education," he added.

UNICEF will support the children's psychological rehabilitation in their communities after they return from the resorts where they are being sent as part of the recovery process. The agency is also planning to support the seven schools of Beslan that will receive the children from School Number
One where the hostage taking occurred.

Through support to the whole education system in Beslan with such basics as desks, chairs, chalkboards and textbooks, UNICEF said it can help to make schools more comfortable and attractive to children again as it is clear that even those children in Beslan not directly involved in the tragic
events are uneasy with the idea of going to school.