Incident Highlights Need for Appropriate Care, Protection and Medical Attention in Emergency Situations
SOS Children's Villages, a global organization dedicated to the long-term care and prevention of orphaned and abandoned children, are currently caring for the 33 children who are alleged victims of child trafficking. The Haitian Social Ministry entrusted SOS with the children – who range from three months to 12 years -- after Haitian police arrested 10 U.S. citizens attempting to take the children from Haiti to the Dominican Republic on January 29 in a suspected illicit adoption scheme. The suspects did not have official papers confirming the identities of the children, nor did they have official permission to bring the children out of the country.
The 33 children were taken to the SOS Children's Village in Santo on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince, one of two SOS Villages located in the devastated nation of Haiti. All of the children were visibly in need of special attention and care, and upon arrival were registered with SOS and given a nutritious meal. The Red Cross, based at the SOS Children's Village in Santo, promptly examined the children and provided medical care as needed.
"We are tremendously thankful to offer care and protection for these children," said Heather Paul, CEO of SOS Children's Villages - USA. "This incident is an unfortunate example of why we need to have proper regulations in place to protect the children of Haiti during this distressing time. We are confident the allegations of child trafficking will be thoroughly investigated, and in the meantime, our focus will continue to be on providing the best care and support to these children while we look for their relatives and loved ones."
The SOS teams are closely monitoring the children while others are attempting to search for relatives. For security reasons, all staff of SOS Children's Villages are wearing identification stickers, and all children from the SOS Children's Village in Santo wear wristbands. Entry to the SOS Children's Village in Santo is strictly controlled.
SOS Children's Villages is a proponent of The UN Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children, the first international document on the care of children without parental care in non-emergency and emergency situations. For more information on SOS Children's Villages and its Haitian relief efforts, please go to www.sos-usa.org.
About SOS Children's Villages
For 60 years, SOS Children's Villages has been dedicated to the long-term care and prevention of orphaned and abandoned children. Through Villages, Family Strengthening Programs, and other initiatives, SOS Children's Villages impacts the lives of over 1 million people each year. In 2009, SOS Children's Villages received the Save the World Award. SOS has also received numerous other honors including the Mother Teresa Gold Medal, the Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize, and the Vietnam Friendship Medal. For more information about SOS Children's Villages, visit http://www.sos-usa.org.
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Contacts:
For SOS Children's Villages:
Karyn Barr, 202-223-9260
sos-usa@allisonpr.com
