Haiti Status Update

Email update from FHG:

Orphans Blocked From Departing Haiti
Undefined Haitian exit procedures halts departure of humanitarian paroled orphans

(Port-au-Prince, Haiti) Seventy-nine of the 106 children from Maison des Enfants de Dieu (Children of the House of God) orphanage, who were granted humanitarian parole, arrived in Florida on Saturday, January 23rd. The Haitian Government has blocked the remaining 27 children, including the adopted son of the For His Glory (FHG) Adoption Outreach President, Kim Harmon, from departing Port-au-Prince. In a surprise announcement, Haitian Prime Minister Bellerive stated that all future cases of humanitarian parole would have to complete an exit process with his office. He has not yet defined this exit process so no action can be taken to bring the remaining children to their adoptive parents in the United States.

The Maison des Enfants de Dieu orphanage staff announced that they soon would be accepting 30 children orphaned since the January 12th earthquake. Over the past week, the orphanage has received numerous requests to take newly orphaned children. In one instance alone, it was asked to accept 70 orphans. The orphanage and FHG remain firmly committed to the children and the people of Haiti. Pat Flowers, an FHG board member who has been in Haiti this past week consulting with the orphanage staff, agreed, "we must act responsibly in accepting new orphans to ensure that we will have sufficient supplies and facilities to care for these children." Pat explained that not only is each child, who is united with adoptive parents, helped, but much-needed space is opened up at the orphanage to help other children. He added, "The need in Port-au-Prince is great."

Kim Harmon reiterated the need to quickly complete the departure process of the remaining 27 children, who have been granted humanitarian parole. She stated "These children have adoptive families waiting to care for them in the United States. The faster we resolve the departure issue, the quicker we will be able to reach out to those unfortunate children in Port-au-Prince who now have no one." FHG urges adoptive parents, supporters and all those concerned about the welfare of the orphans in Haiti to contact their Congressmen, Senators, Governors and the White House to urge the Secretary of State to quickly resolve this issue with Prime Minister Bellerive.

It should be noted that UNICEF is behind all of this, which, infuriating enough as it is, comes as no surprise. They are effectively holding these kids, and our son, hostage and in doing so are preventing new orphans from getting the care they need.

Please keep praying.