Srilanka, Dec. 7 -- As the country continues clearing the debris and re-opening roads, thousands of children remain in limbo - waiting for school to reopen, waiting eagerly for their homes to be rebuilt, and in some heartbreaking cases, waiting with bated breath for their parents who may never return.

Women and Child Affairs Minister Saroja Savithri Paulraj yesterday said 275,000 children have been displaced by the landslides and floods unleashed by cyclone Ditwah, many of them separated from their parents or still waiting for news from them, or about them, and their relatives.

To ease the immediate burden, the Government began distributing Rs. 25,000 for each affected child - Rs. 10,000 from the Disaster Management Centre and Rs. 15,00...