KOCHI: Chief of Disaster Risk Reduction in the UN Environment Programme Muralee Thummarukudy said that the mental trauma of the flood-affected people should be taken seriously.

“The situation is challenging. It will remain in the memory of the people forever,” he said.

“Usually children and women find relief by crying a lot.. they lessen their burden. But male members in a house confines all their pains within themselves in order to give oral support to their wife and children,” he posted in his facebook account.

His comments follows reports of a man committing suicide after revisiting his house that was totally battered by the recent rains and floods.

“But some people appear to be normal and sound in their initial days. But their mental trauma will manifest after months. Such problems will lead to depression and suicides like the one we saw about the other day… so men should be more careful,” he said.