Amidst the turmoil and unrest striking Haiti, a metro Atlanta adoption group is grappling with the challenge of bringing 101 Haitian orphans, who are already matched with families in the U.S., to safety. Alinna Mehaffie, caught in a years-long process to bring 15-year-old Zachary home, expressed her fears to FOX 5 Atlanta, "He's an amazing kid. He's been waiting a really long time and still has a lot of hope that he'll be here at some point." Emotions are running high as these adoptive families find themselves helpless against the violence engulfing the Caribbean nation.
On the other side of the struggle is an Indiana couple, the Tennants, who cannot contact their adopted teen boys in Haiti, according to a CNN report. Their despair is magnified by the knowledge that the children, a product of their love and commitment since embarking on the adoption journey in 2018, are huddled beneath their beds seeking refuge from gunfire. The couple has been unable to reach them for over a week, with the dangerous and volatile conditions in Haiti intensifying their desperation to bring their children home.
Linda Gunter, the volunteer CEO and founder of the adoption group Love Him Love Them, voiced concerns regarding Haitian government offices being ransacked and sensitive records falling into the hands of gangs. Gunter told FOX 5, "A gang member thinks, ‘OK, now I've got information on a child that is tied to an American citizen.’ So, it makes them very high on the ranking to be kidnaped." The situation, fraught with challenges, underscores the vulnerability of the orphans awaiting adoption.
The State Department acknowledges the daunting circumstances faced by families pursuing parenthood through adoption in Haiti, reiterating their commitment to working with Haitian authorities and keeping communications open. In a statement obtained by FOX 5, the Department contemplates the evolving challenges, "We are working closely with the Haitian government to figure out options for children at various stages of adoption processing and are responding to individual inquiries from Adoption Service Providers and parents."
With the airport in Port-au-Prince shuttered and under the control of gangs, the U.S. has flown more than 30 citizens from Haiti to Miami as nearly 1,000 Americans have sought assistance. Haitian airline Sunrise Airways has announced to their post on X special flights to facilitate further evacuations against the backdrop of a country where most Haitians lack the option to leave. The adoption groups and families entangled in the crisis are holding onto hope, advocating for support through online petitions and contacting elected officials to secure their children's safe passage to their new homes. Mehaffie, speaking to her sleepless nights and the heartache, told FOX 5, "This is breaking my heart that he is there and afraid."
We are pleased to inform you that we will operate
— Sunrise Airways (@SunriseAirways) March 19, 2024
special flights Cap-Haïtien to/from Miami on March 25, 2024.
Visit our website to book or reschedule your flight upon availability:https://t.co/UBGNS102NI
For any assistance contact us at:https://t.co/v06bV3Ss9o#sunriseairways pic.twitter.com/SaKIZITqjo
