Children in Aceh's camps prone to illegal adoption<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Despite the government ban, out-of-court adoptions of children
\nliving in refugee camps across tsunami-stricken Aceh remain a
\ncause for concern and could actually be child smuggling, a
\nchildren's commission says.<\/p>\n
Most recently a six-year-old boy Faisal and his four-year-old
\nsister, Ida, were taken by a woman who identified herself as the
\nchildren's aunt from their camp in Lhok Nga, Leupung subdistrict
\nin Banda Aceh.<\/p>\n
\"The woman has disappeared along with the children. We can't
\ntrace her since she did not leave any identity documents,\" said
\nDina Kania of the National Commission for Child Protection
\n(Komnas PA) as quoted by Antara on Sunday.<\/p>\n
The woman said she would take the children to their mother.
\nThe tsunami that devastated Aceh on Dec. 26 last year had
\nseparated the children from their parents.<\/p>\n
Dina said the incident became clear after a man who said he
\nwas the biological father of the two children arrived in the
\ncamp to take them several days later.<\/p>\n
Similar such cases had been reported in several other refugee
\ncamps across Banda Aceh, Dina said.<\/p>\n
She said people who wished to adopt orphaned children must
\nregister with camp coordinators to allow the latter to monitor
\nthe whereabouts of the children.<\/p>\n
\"Many of the children are being taken care of by older
\nchildren who have also lost their parents in the disaster. They
\nare also facing a lack of food,\" Dina said.<\/p>\n
Baby food was a luxury in the province, another commission
\nmember, Nurbani, said.<\/p>\n
She said many babies living in refugee camps were fed instant
\nnoodles or other adult foods due to a lack of milk and porridge.<\/p>\n
Nurbani, who oversees the Kede Meriah refugee camp in Aceh
\nBesar, said the lack of nutrition among children needed urgent
\naddressing.<\/p>\n
\"One scrambled egg must be divided to feed between five and
\neight children,\" she said.<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Social Affairs and the House of
\nRepresentatives have promised to donate nourished food to the
\nchildren, but Nurani said the pledge had not materialized.<\/p>\n
\"They promised to provide 400 grams of rice for each person
\nbut it was only empty talk. Most of the people living in the
\ncamps only eat instant noodles, including the children,\" Nurbani
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Volunteers who help refugees in Lhok Nga and Sigli also found
\nchildren who had eaten instant noodles regularly for quite a long
\ntime due to the absence of other foods.<\/p>\n
The volunteers urged the government to take immediate
\nmeasures, otherwise the children would suffer malnutrition, they
\nsaid.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/children-in-acehs-camps-prone-to-illegal-adoption-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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