Haiti’s Orphans Face Uncertainty in Days After Quake
Molly Burns
The earthquake that struck the Caribbean country of Haiti on January 12, 2010 has caused many tragedies and has raised many questions for its people. One of the most complex issues has been the uncertainty that orphans and their adoptive parents are facing due to a combination of regulations and fears of potential child trafficking (def: children who are either forcefully removed or tricked for the purpose of exploitation) that could endanger children. Since the earthquake, it has been very difficult for orphans to leave Haiti even if they have adoptive parents waiting for them overseas. This is because approval from the Haitian government is required in order for them to leave.
For many couples and the children waiting for them, this became more complicated when adoption papers were either lost or destroyed when the buildings they were stored in collapsed. In addition to the fact that the chaos following the earthquake has made it difficult to obtain this approval, many aid agencies such as Save the Children and the British Red Cross have actually called for the adoption system to freeze altogether due to fears that child traffickers will take advantage of the current situation.
- Strict regulations ensure the safety of children who might otherwise be susceptible to exploitation
- Families who were already in the process of adopting a child are unable to bring them home, even as they face difficult conditions in Haiti
- To help the relief effort in Haiti, donations can be made easily online to legitimate organizations such as Red Cross (http://www.redcross.org/) and UNICEF (http://www.unicefusa.org/)
For further information:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8489706.stm
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123179171&ft=1&f=1001
http://www.squidoo.com/newscallforhaitiadoptionsovertraffickers
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