It is now estimated that the tsunami, although not the largest in recorded history, has inflicted some of the greatest devastation, claiming more than 170,000 lives and displacing an estimated 1.5 million people (Table 1). As it became clear that a large portion of those most affected were children, many Americans (and would-be parents from other nations) were moved to open their hearts and homes – through adoption – to the boys and girls who seemed to have been orphaned.
In response to the enormous number of inquiries, the U.S. State Department – as well as numerous European governments, international and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and agencies involved in intercountry adoptions – announced that they opposed adoptions from the areas hit by the tsunami. The State Department explicitly stated that no adoptions would occur until those countries were stabilized to the point where legitimate orphans could be identified and, even then, that adoptions would take place only in nations that “decide to make these orphans available for international adoption.” (U.S. State, 2005 January 3).
The Adoption Institute offers this Policy Brief, with the purpose of examining the role of intercountry adoption in situations such as the one caused by the tsunami – that is, during natural disasters, armed conflicts, and other complex human emergencies. By outlining some of the unique threats posed to children during emergencies, and examining existing international conventions and the legal framework for intercountry adoption, it is the Institute’s intent to articulate best practices that incorporate both immediate and long-term needs of children left without parental care – including protection, family reunification, community and family solutions, permanency, and respect of culture. The brief intends to stimulate dialogue among adoption professionals, policy makers, international organizations, and NGOs involved in providing humanitarian aid during crises, and highlight the need to establish high ethical and practice standards among all parties interested in the welfare of children during such times.
