Protection Of Separated And Unaccompanied Children After Nepal Earthquakes
The emergency triggered by the earthquake on 25 April is also a children's emergency as they account for 40 per cent of the entire population, constituting the single largest age group. The new earthquake of magnitude 7.3 that hit Nepal on 12 May has increased the number of affected people and exacerbated the vulnerability of many more.
The current situation in the affected districts makes children vulnerable to being separated from their immediate and extended families. A nurturing family is the most suitable place for a child, even more so in moments of crisis, when they need exceptional emotional support and care.
When children are left without the care of their parents and/or family (separated and unaccompanied children –notes 1 and 2) they become especially vulnerable. It is an ideal situation for traffickers, those facilitating illegal adoption, or others who wish to exploit the situation and circumvent national and international standards, to take Nepali children out of the country for their own benefit.
The primary response in an emergency must be to prevent unnecessary separation of families and to stop the sale and trafficking of children, including through unlawful inter-country adoptions. The UN Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children issued in November 2009 specifies key considerations:
The primary goal is to trace and reunify children with their families to the maximum extent possible prior to any other permanent solution is pursued; No relief effort should inadvertently promote the separation of children from their immediate or extended family; In emergency situations, children should not be moved to another country for the purpose of alternative care except temporarily for compelling health, medical or safety reasons; If so, the Guidelines stress that children should be moved as close as possible to their home, ensuring that the child is accompanied by a care-giver, ensuring safe passage and timely return.[3] As per the Guidelines, enrolment of children in residential institutions should be an option only if appropriate, necessary and in the best interests of the child.
UNICEF has been supporting the government to ensure that systems are in place to prevent family separation and institutionalisation, and to promptly identify and reunify children . UNICEF is particularly pleased with the recent announcement by the Government of Nepal to officially suspend inter-country adoption under the current circumstances.
UNICEF is also concerned that the post-quake may increase the influx of ‘orphanage volunteers’ who come to the country as tourist and often want to add this ‘social’ element. UNICEF discourages agencies sending volunteers and volunteers themselves to come to Nepal with this purpose. Although well-intentioned, volunteering for short periods of time without appropriate skills and training could contribute to a repeated sense of abandonment felt by already vulnerable children. In addition, as background checks are often not conducted on volunteers – and may be even more difficult in these circumstances - the risk to children of child sexual exploitation may increase.
In the immediate aftermath of the crisis, children must be found, fed, kept alive and safe, and provided emotional support. Given the sheer magnitude of the challenges in Nepal, adherence to international standards must be accompanied by significant scaling-up of efforts to provide and care for all children in Nepal. Together with partners, UNICEF is committed to these efforts.
NOTE:
[1] Unaccompanied children are children who have been separated from both parents and other relatives and are not being cared for by an adult who, by law or custom, is responsible for doing so.
[2] Separated children are those separated from both parents, or from their previous legal or customary primary care-giver, but not necessarily from other relatives.
[3] These are an adaptation of some of the key considerations for alternative care in emergencies situations as noted in the Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children.
Full text of the Guidelines