Monday 1st February, 2010
Concern for welfare of 33 children allegedly being trafficked out of Haiti
Call for moratorium on new adoptions from Haiti, says Save the Children
Save the Children is working quickly to uncover and gather information about 33 children
reportedly stopped at the border of Haiti and the Dominican Republic with members of an
American organization attempting to take them out of the country illegally.
Save the Children’s Child Protection expert Karen Flanagan said, "The instinct to swoop in and
rescue children may be a natural impulse, but it cannot be the solution for the tens of thousands
of children left vulnerable by the Haiti earthquake."
“Although it is unclear at the moment how many children have been separated from their
families, the possibility of a child being mistakenly labelled an orphan in the chaotic aftermath of
the disaster is incredibly high. No matter how horrific the situation looks in Haiti to concerned
observers, the full process of reuniting children with parents and relatives must be completed,”
added Ms Flanagan.
Thousands if not hundreds of thousands of children may be separated from their parents and
families by the earthquake that devastated Haiti on January 12, due to death, injury or the sheer
chaos created by the disaster.
These children are at acute risk of trafficking, sexual exploitation and serious emotional distress.
Save the Children is working with the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red
Cross and the Haitian government to assess the status and needs of these children so that they
can be reunited with their families.
Save the Children is calling for a moratorium on any new adoptions of children affected by the
earthquake to ensure every child has been given the best possible chance of being reunited with
their family. This moratorium does not apply to children in Haiti already in the adoption process.
For those children who have indeed lost both parents, it is almost always in their best interests
to remain with their relatives and extended families. UN guidelines recommend at least two
years are spent tracing lost families before adoption should be considered.
Save the Children is working in Haiti to protect vulnerable children, providing safe places for
them to play in the temporary camps. The organization is also working with the United Nations
to run temporary care centers providing food, shelter and support for separated children while
every effort is being made to trace their parents and relatives.
For more information, or to arrange an interview with Karen Flanagan call
Ian Woolverton 0437 355 096
NEWS 
