Aid agencies and authorities in eastern Chad are urging local people not to lose confidence in the international humanitarian community.
This comes after members of a French association claiming to rescue Sudanese orphans from the war in Darfur were charged with fraud and abduction of minors, writes IRINnews.
BÅDE NGO´ER OG FN-ORGANISATIONER
A committee of 21 NGOs working in eastern Chad, including Save the Children, Oxfam, and Action against Hunger, has signed a joint statement expressing “profound concern” over the incident, calling it a “serious violation” of the children’s rights.
“Since our arrival in Chad, we have worked very closely with the Chadian and Sudanese communities to assure that their basic needs are met,” the statement says. “We have always respected the rights of children in the communities we serve, and we will continue to integrate these fundamental principles into our work.”
In a 26 October joint statement UN agencies operating in Chad said they learned of the attempted evacuation with “indignation” and “deplore that such acts would alter the serious work that the majority of international NGOs in Chad have been developing for decades, in respect of national laws and international standards.”
BESKYLDT FOR BØRNESMUGLING
Six members of the Paris-based group L’Arche de Zoé (Zoe’s Ark) were arrested on 25 October as they were preparing to take 103 children – refugees from conflict in Sudans Darfur region – to host families in France.
The Chadian government has accused them of child trafficking. Under Chad’s legal system they could face up to 20 years of forced labour.
Members of L’Arche de Zoé have insisted they were simply trying to save the children’s lives, and that they had full authorisation from the Chadian government. None of the charges against the group has been proven in court.
BEKYMRING I BISTANDSKREDSE
Some humanitarian workers had expressed fear that this event would make their work more difficult, as local populations would paint all NGOs with the same brush.
– People are hearing that a Western NGO is trafficking children. It’s a real problem, said Makbidji Henri, a Chadian national who has worked with various international aid organisations.
– When we want to work with children or the elderly, people will ask if there isn’t a hidden agenda.
ENDNU INGEN KONSEKVENSER
According to Roland Van Hauwermeiren, Chad country director for Oxfam Great Britain and spokesperson for the committee of NGOs, the activities of other NGOs have not been affected.
– We continue delivering services as ever before. The population is smart enough to make differences, he said.
BØRN TILBAGE TIL FAMILIEN
The children are now in an orphanage in Abéché, in the care of the Chadian Ministry of Social Affairs, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
They have received food, clothes and recreational materials, and will be returned to their families in Tiné, Adré and Goz Béïda, an aid official said.
Kilde: www.irinnews.org
