The Commission for International Adoptions in today's meeting has done a careful analysis of information acquired in the international arena and the contacts with the leaders of the Italian organizations that are working to meet emergency needs in Haiti and approved a number of immediate and medium term. With regard to immediate action, the Commission voted to finalize a million euro to
- to facilitate the reunification of children with family members missing or injured, by funding the project of Save the Children to € 350,000;
- ensuring health care, toilet and survival for 20,000 families with children, assisted by Charitas Haiti, funding for the project of the Italian Charitas € 350,000;
- guests help children in orphanages or in temporary structures set up by UNICEF through funding of € 300,000.
The Commission for International Adoptions has also decided to allocate further € 750,000 for medium-term interventions, made by the authorized bodies or other organizations that are intervening in Haiti. This will be launched in the coming days a coordination meeting in order to identify the steps do not overlap with those already funded. The Commission has also focused on all the proposals under discussion in various international contexts relating to the adoption of Haitian children, resulting in a state of neglect and possible temporary shelter care. Given that the operations should be concluded for reunification and that the authorities of Haiti will have to declare a state of adoptability of the child, the Commission as of now is able to identify, in cooperation with the authorized agencies, couples, now awaiting adoption in other countries, may be candidates for eventual adoption of Haitian children, once the first phase of an emergency. The Commission is already in contact with authorities in other host countries in view of initiatives to support the Haitian government to speed up the procedures for ascertaining and the declaration of a state of adoptability. Having been previously convened in Paris on January 21 pv an informal meeting of some European Central Authorities for the study and implementation of best practices, attended by the Vice President of the Commission, Italy has asked to enter the order of days of the issue of Haiti for possible coordinated action of host countries with the government of Haiti. The Secretary has called for tomorrow Giovanardi January 20 a meeting with Under Secretaries and Letta Bertolaso, with the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Justice, Economy and Welfare in order to identify further coordinated actions, corresponding to the needs Haitian children in order to prevent negative consequences, which have proved successful in other emergency situations that could affect children eventually hosted in Italy.
