According to UNICEF and the Institute of Social Welfare and Research (IBESR) in Haiti, about 80% of children who are in orphanages in Haiti, have a close relative.

"[...] There are many children who are in orphanages who have a close relative of the family. There are certain parents, either the father or the mother who abandons of children for many reasons, and these children end up in institutions, such as orphanages and nurseries. There are parents who abandon their children also at the maternity, and these children are recovered by IBESR and placed in orphanages. In Haiti. 80% of these children they have a close relative, that is why we say that there are not really orphans [...]" declared Hans Beauvoir, Officer of the Child Protection of the UNICEF in Haiti.

After January 12, 2010, IBESR has established an inventory of all the national institutions and kindergartens accommodating children, by identifying more than 750 across the country and classifying them into three categories "green, yellow or red," according to the level of application of standards to accommodate children.

To date, 25 institutions that hosted nearly 12,000 children have been closed and the children placed in institutions "green". However, the country ack of infrastructure and facilities "green" to accommodate children from other orphanages that do not meet minimum standards.

For its part, the Government is seeking to restore contact with the families of the children so that they re take their child, by giving them support, a heavy and expensive solution.

For its part, UNICEF advocates foremost, the deinstitutionalisation of children and family reunification, as well as a multi-sectoral approach, including the socio-economic, justice, reproductive health and education sector, to fight against this problem.

HL/ PI/ HaitiLibre