Save the Children warns against calls to adopt unaccompanied children
Save the Children, a leading humanitarian charity, has warned that trying to adopt unaccompanied children who were rescued from the earthquake is "not an appropriate response" for people who want to help with relief efforts.
The charity said that people who want to provide assistance to children in need should support groups working on the ground that are trying to reunite the children with their immediate or extended family.
"It's natural to see these heart-breaking images and want to help in any way possible, but adoption should never be pursued during or immediately after an emergency like the recent earthquakes," Rebecca Smith, the charity's acting global child protection director, said in a statement.
"Though offers to adopt children who appear unaccompanied, separated, or may have lost immediate family members may be well-intentioned, this is not the appropriate immediate solution at this time."
The statement comes after a baby girl was born in the rubble of a collapsed building in Syria. When she was rescued, the baby was still attached to her mother by the umbilical cord. The mother, as well as the rest of her immediate family, was killed by the quake.
The news of the baby prompted calls from people around the world wanting to adopt the child.
"The best way for people to support children was by donating to trusted local organisations on the ground and humanitarian agencies who have expertise in this area," Save the Children said in a statement.