UNICEF works to reunite children with their families in Haiti
By Nora Nonet, UNICEF France
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, 29 March 2010 – Eight-year-old Jefferson (not his real name) has made headlines around the world. He was one of 33 Haitian children who a group of US missionaries attempted to take out of the country on 29 January in the aftermath of the massive earthquake on January 12. He now sits at a reception centre in the heart of Haiti’s shattered capital, where he has spent two weeks, one of perhaps thousands of children who became separated from their families.
Jefferson and all 33 children in his group have now been returned to their relatives and regular caregivers.
The missionaries who attempted to take him from Haiti were intercepted by police as they tried to cross the border into the Dominican Republic. Authorities said that the group didn't have proper legal documentation and that many of the children were not orphans. Several weeks after those dramatic events, Jefferson was interviewed by UNICEF-trained social workers tasked with registering cases of separated children.
Important details
Some Haitian children were so traumatised by the earthquake that they couldn’t even remember their last names. It’s in dealing with such children that the role of the trained interviewers becomes so crucial.
It quickly became clear that Jefferson remembered the details of the day when he was taken away by the American missionaries. More importantly, he also recalled his mother’s name and the address of his former home. Encouraged by the social workers, Jefferson was even able to describe the meals his mother used to make for him.
Tracing family members
“Sometimes it's easy to trace the family,” said UNICEF Child Protection Specialist Benoit Fournier. “It depends on the age of the child. If he or she remembers his mother’s name, that’s a big help. Or maybe a neighbour can help and give some information, for example, if the mother died, or if she moved to another area or another part of the country.
“Then we ask ours teams and counterparts over there to trace the family using that information,” he added.
But the process of reuniting children with their parents or other close relatives is slow and painstaking. To date, child protection workers have identified and registered more than 500 separated children – with thousands more estimated in and around Port-au-Prince.
‘A family environment’
While many children end up in residential care centres, others have been taken in by foster families – a solution that, according to UNICEF Child Protection Specialist Marie de la Soudière, is better for them in several ways.
“A child needs to be in a family environment, where he can play with other children, and where adults can take care of him,” said Ms. de la Soudière. “Especially during emergencies, an orphanage can turn children into true orphans, even if their parents are still out there.”
Helping children like these find their families again is a critical part of UNICEF’s work in the ongoing humanitarian relief effort in Haiti.
About UNICEF
UNICEF is on the ground in over 150 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.
For more information, please contact:
Martin Thomas, UNICEF Australia
0401 332 399
mthomas@unicef.org.au
Martha Tattersall, UNICEF Australia
0421 570 393
mtattersall@unicef.org.au