Traffickers targeting Haiti's children, human organs, PM says By Tom Evans, CNN
January 27, 2010 10:21 p.m. EST
Children recently orphaned by Haiti's earthquake could be targeted for organ trafficking, Haiti's prime minister says.STORY HIGHLIGHTS
NEW: Government working to protect children from traffickers, Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive says
NEW: Bellerive rejects criticism that government not visible enough to Haitian people
NEW: Bellerive says government will reopen schools Monday in most of the country
Haiti is registering children so they can be reunited with family or put up for adoption, he says
(CNN) -- Trafficking of children and human organs is occurring in the aftermath of the earthquake that devastated parts of Haiti, killed more than 150,000 people, and left many children orphans, Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive said Wednesday.
"There is organ trafficking for children and other persons also, because they need all types of organs," Bellerive said in an exclusive interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour.
He did not give specifics, but asked by Amanpour if there is trafficking of children, Bellerive said, "The reports I received say yes."
Haiti is trying to locate displaced children and register them so they can either be reunited with other family members or put up for adoption, Bellerive said.
But, he said, illegal child trafficking is "one of the biggest problems that we have."
Many groups appear to be legitimate, "but a lot of organizations -- they come and they say there were children on the streets. They're going to bring them to the [United] States," he said.
Bellerive said he's trying to work with embassies in Port-au-Prince to protect Haiti's children from traffickers.
Video: Child trafficking in Haiti
RELATED TOPICS
Haiti
Earthquakes
Human Trafficking
Jean-Max Bellerive
"Any child that is leaving the country has to be validated by the embassy under a list that they give me, with all the reports," he said.
Speaking at his temporary headquarters in a police station near the Port-au-Prince Airport, Bellerive said the first thing Haitian officials seek to confirm is whether the children have adoption papers before they leave the country.
In Washington, the State Department said Wednesday it is moving cautiously on the issue of adoptions from Haiti.
"We want to be sure that when a child has been identified, that due diligence has been done to make sure that this is truly an orphan child and not a child that actually has family," said State Department Spokesman P.J. Crowley. "Sometimes if you push too hard, too fast there can be unintended consequences. So we are being very, very careful."
"We respect the sovereignty of Haiti and their right to control the departure of Haitian children. So we think the system that has been established is working effectively. I know there is a perception out there of 'cut through the red tape.' But there are very good reasons we want to make sure this process works well," Crowley said.
On the broader issue of Haitian children, Bellerive told Amanpour the government will reopen schools Monday in most of the country.
He said there were particular problems in Port-au-Prince.
"We cannot open one school and not the other. But some of the schools want to operate right now. They say if there are tents -- if there are facilities and we can help them -- they are willing to open very rapidly."
Bellerive also highlighted the critical importance of getting enough tents and shelters to Haiti before the rainy season begins in May. He said he didn't know where all the tents promised by aid agencies and governments are.
"We have reports that they've already sent 20,000 tents maybe, and 20,000 more are on the way. But yesterday, when we didn't see the tents and we didn't see any action to organize the shelters, the president himself asked to see the storage place and we only counted 3,500 tents."
Bellerive said President Rene Preval asked for 200,000 tents to house between 400,000 and 500,000 people. "We are very preoccupied about the consequences of all those people on the street, if it starts to rain."
The prime minister also rejected criticism from within Haiti and overseas that his government needs to be more visible to the Haitian people.
"We are in charge. Frankly I don't understand what that ....
full article; and video
http://us.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/01/27/haiti.earthquake.orphans/index.html
January 27, 2010 10:21 p.m. EST
Children recently orphaned by Haiti's earthquake could be targeted for organ trafficking, Haiti's prime minister says.STORY HIGHLIGHTS
NEW: Government working to protect children from traffickers, Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive says
NEW: Bellerive rejects criticism that government not visible enough to Haitian people
NEW: Bellerive says government will reopen schools Monday in most of the country
Haiti is registering children so they can be reunited with family or put up for adoption, he says
(CNN) -- Trafficking of children and human organs is occurring in the aftermath of the earthquake that devastated parts of Haiti, killed more than 150,000 people, and left many children orphans, Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive said Wednesday.
"There is organ trafficking for children and other persons also, because they need all types of organs," Bellerive said in an exclusive interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour.
He did not give specifics, but asked by Amanpour if there is trafficking of children, Bellerive said, "The reports I received say yes."
Haiti is trying to locate displaced children and register them so they can either be reunited with other family members or put up for adoption, Bellerive said.
But, he said, illegal child trafficking is "one of the biggest problems that we have."
Many groups appear to be legitimate, "but a lot of organizations -- they come and they say there were children on the streets. They're going to bring them to the [United] States," he said.
Bellerive said he's trying to work with embassies in Port-au-Prince to protect Haiti's children from traffickers.
Video: Child trafficking in Haiti
RELATED TOPICS
Haiti
Earthquakes
Human Trafficking
Jean-Max Bellerive
"Any child that is leaving the country has to be validated by the embassy under a list that they give me, with all the reports," he said.
Speaking at his temporary headquarters in a police station near the Port-au-Prince Airport, Bellerive said the first thing Haitian officials seek to confirm is whether the children have adoption papers before they leave the country.
In Washington, the State Department said Wednesday it is moving cautiously on the issue of adoptions from Haiti.
"We want to be sure that when a child has been identified, that due diligence has been done to make sure that this is truly an orphan child and not a child that actually has family," said State Department Spokesman P.J. Crowley. "Sometimes if you push too hard, too fast there can be unintended consequences. So we are being very, very careful."
"We respect the sovereignty of Haiti and their right to control the departure of Haitian children. So we think the system that has been established is working effectively. I know there is a perception out there of 'cut through the red tape.' But there are very good reasons we want to make sure this process works well," Crowley said.
On the broader issue of Haitian children, Bellerive told Amanpour the government will reopen schools Monday in most of the country.
He said there were particular problems in Port-au-Prince.
"We cannot open one school and not the other. But some of the schools want to operate right now. They say if there are tents -- if there are facilities and we can help them -- they are willing to open very rapidly."
Bellerive also highlighted the critical importance of getting enough tents and shelters to Haiti before the rainy season begins in May. He said he didn't know where all the tents promised by aid agencies and governments are.
"We have reports that they've already sent 20,000 tents maybe, and 20,000 more are on the way. But yesterday, when we didn't see the tents and we didn't see any action to organize the shelters, the president himself asked to see the storage place and we only counted 3,500 tents."
Bellerive said President Rene Preval asked for 200,000 tents to house between 400,000 and 500,000 people. "We are very preoccupied about the consequences of all those people on the street, if it starts to rain."
The prime minister also rejected criticism from within Haiti and overseas that his government needs to be more visible to the Haitian people.
"We are in charge. Frankly I don't understand what that ....
full article; and video
http://us.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/01/27/haiti.earthquake.orphans/index.html