IJM is calling on the international community to immediately implement measures to protect vulnerable children from trafficking risks and other forms of abuse in Haiti.
Excerpts from an IJM Press Release:
It is estimated that 40,000 to 60,000 children have been killed, orphaned or separated from their families as a result of the January 12th earthquake. Breakdown of rule of law across the country has left many particularly vulnerable to violent human rights abuses, including human trafficking. In the past week, disturbing reports have surfaced of scams targeting Haitian Americans trying to transport relatives from the island, along with scattered reports of the disappearance of children from hospitals across the country.
“We are grateful to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and other groups working on the ground to implement serious measures to prevent a devastating wave of human trafficking,” says Gary Haugen, president and CEO of IJM. “Our experience in combating this crime around the globe has taught us that traffickers and pimps head for countries with weak law enforcement. Unfortunately, that is the picture of Haiti today.”
As chaos continues to reign in the streets, IJM is calling for reinforcements to the United Nations peacekeeping force, most of whose leadership was killed during the earthquake, to effectively protect the vulnerable – especially women and orphaned children. “There must be focused efforts to investigate and interdict the trafficking and exploitation of children – put into action as soon as possible – as well as a clear way of reporting suspicious activity related to the abuse of children to a central location for investigation,” said IJM’s Vice President of Investigations Jeff Blom. “A hotline or reporting center could be established for this purpose.” “Additionally, there should be close scrutiny of any individuals or organizations that are involved with caring for, placing or sheltering orphaned children, and a national registration should be established to track children that have been relocated out of the country,” Blom added.
Further urgent measures should include securing a facility for detention of those violating Haitian law, in light of the collapse of the national prison and Haiti’s courts. The reconstitution of the Haitian police – and rule of law – must be a top priority of Haiti’s long-term reconstruction.
This week, Holly Burkhalter, IJM Vice President Government Relations, was interviewed by the Sonoma County CNN radio affiliate about the critical need for rule of law in the aftermath of the earthquake. Please feel free to share this resource and continue to spread the word about the need for special efforts to protect vulnerable children in Haiti.
Thank you for sharing this. It is a huge encouragement to know that someone is specifically looking out for the little ones, the widowed, the orphaned...praise God that is he near to those who are broken.