Children are being orphaned, stigmatised and discriminated against because of the deadly Ebola virus, experts have said.
At least 3,700 children in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone have lost one or both parents to the disease, according to Unicef.
Many have nowhere to go as extended families are refusing to care for them, the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) said.
Member agencies of the DEC are supporting children who have been affected by the disease at provisional care centres.
Save The Children is working in the remote Kailahun district in Sierra Leone, one of the worst affected areas in the country.
One of the young boys they are supporting lost his father and six members of his family to Ebola.
Justin Forsyth, chief executive of Save the Children, said: “One of the main tragedies of Ebola is that many children, who have already witnessed one or both parents dying in terrible circumstances, are now being abandoned because people are so terrified of contracting the disease.
Siah, 16, John, 9, and Musa, 5 (below), have lost both parents to Ebola.
“The traditional safety net of community support is under threat.”
Plan UK charity is also offering psychological and social support to children affected by the disease, including a young girl who watched her mother’s body taken away in plastic sheets.
Anita Queirazza, child protection specialist for Plan, said: “Witnessing the sudden death of their family members and medical personnel in masks and protective gear spraying unknown liquids is severely traumatising children.
“Many of them do not receive any form of psychological support. They are left alone at a time when they most need to be comforted.”
Charities affiliated with DEC are also working to educate people about Ebola and challenge misunderstandings about the disease.
Jane Moyo of ActionAid said: “Genuine, honest dialogue with people in affected communities is crucial if stigma and prejudice are to be overcome.
“That includes community mobilisation and local leadership so that Ebola myths can be challenged.”