Nearly 100,000 children in Ukraine, half of whom are disabled, live in institutions or boarding schools and it is crucial to take precautions before evacuating them to another country to escape the Russian invasion, the UN said on Monday. March 7.
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The High Commissioner for Refugees and the head of Unicef joined their voices to recall that the best could sometimes be the enemy of the good and that an evacuation without taking the necessary precautions could end badly, putting children within reach. predators and traffickers. “We have reports of institutions seeking to bring children to safety in neighboring countries or beyondwrite the two leaders, while the war has already forced 1.7 million Ukrainians to flee their country, including hundreds of thousands of children.
While they recognize that evacuations can save lives, it “it is essential that we can obtain the authorization of the parents or guardians“, underlined Filippo Grandi and Catherine Russell. “Under no circumstances should families be separated due to relocation or evacuation“, they pointed out. People responsible for children in institutions must ensure that the Ukrainian authorities are informed as well as the authorities of the host countries, in particular the children’s services. As far as possible, the young evacuees must have their identity papers and their file with them.
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They also pointed outthat adoptions should not be allowed during or immediately after emergencies“, although foster families or homes may offer “critical protection“. “Every effort should be made to reunite children with their families if such reunification is in the best interests of the child“, underline the two officials.