For newly orphaned children wandering the streets of Haiti’s capital begging for food, new life sounds like a dream come true. But agencies trying to evacuate children whose parents died in last week’s earthquake have been criticised for bypassing proper adoption processes to rush them to families abroad.
Children’s advocacy groups warn against new procedures in the face of an emergency. They say disasters create a free-for-all in which thousands of children are airlifted to nations without their family background being properly checked. Aid groups worry about children whose parents or other relatives still may be alive.
Your thoughts? Is bypassing proper adoption processes the right thing to do?
Every effort must be made to keep family with family. In times of trouble like this, perhaps airlifts are best on the understanding to all that it is on a temporary basis until all avenues to reunite have been exhausted, and that a DNA and photo data bank be established in order to assist reuniting families in future at both ends.