As the aftermath of Haiti’s deadly hurricane continues to unfold, historic rescues are starting to be come less and less as hope for finding live victims in the debris and rubble has faded, as fear induced ciaos quickly followed in its path. A country already teetering on the brink of disrepair, the future of Haiti has become even darker and and bleak as hope fades and pandemonium has begun to emerge as disaster and emergency relief efforts are in full swing.
Haiti’s has long been a country with grave concerns over child welfare, as 38% of population is under the age of 14, the impoverished country is historically know for child servitude and trafficking. Living in dire poverty most families have no electricity or running water, and worry daily on how to feed their children. Thus children are often, sold into slavery internationally and domestically, or sent to work as Retavek’s (servants). You can see more on the country’s Restavek children in my previous posts; Haiti’s Enslaved Children and A Shocking Look into Child Slavery in Haiti Tonight on Nightline.
Before the earthquake Haiti was know as a nation of orphans, as some 40,0000 orphans were lingering in the shadows of hope, according to UNICEF. The US State Department stated that some families who have been going through the adoption process and papers have been lost and many may now be put back some 2 years, however in the wake of that fear many adoptions would not happen, many have in fact been expedited. The disaster has prompted a relaunch of operation Pedro Pan (Peter Pan).
Operation Peter Pan (Operación Pedro Pan), was an operation coordinated by the United States government and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami, for which more than 14,000 children were sent from Cuba to Miami by their parents, between 1960 and 1962. The operation was designed to transport the children of parents who opposed the revolutionary government, and place them with friends, relatives and group homes across 35 states. However the Haitian relaunch is seeking to air lift children who are ‘true’ orphans. The program is being launched by Catholic Charities along with immigrant rights organizations based in South Florida, who seek to airlift thousands of Haitian children orphaned by the deadly earthquake.
“We will use the model we used 40 years ago with Pedro Pan to bring these orphans to the United States to give them a lifeline, a bright and hopeful future,” Catholic Charities Legal Services executive director Randolph McGrorty said at a news conference in the offices of Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart. (Miami Herald)
The move does spark controversy as many dispute weather the children can be 100% verified as orphaned, and if enough efforts are being done to ensure they do not have living relatives that can care for them. Though concerns are ramped the children of Haiti have been left most vulnerable and significant steps must be made to ensure their safety and security, which includes a right to remain in their home country and preserve their culture as much as possible.
Please also see the posts, Haiti’s Disastrous Earthquake Hits Children Hardest and Haiti’s Children the Poor of the Poor.
