Amputated limbs are the latest concern for the children of Haiti, a country where many of them already lived as orphans.

With hundreds of people still trapped under rubble, it is feared that rescuers will not reach them in time. As a result, injuries become life-threatening and the prevalence of amputations increase.

Demand for international support is also set to increase as more children become orphaned due to this catastrophe, and will require special medical treatment and pastoral care.

Father Donald Chambers, Missio’s National Director in Jamaica, recently said, ‘Your heart tears apart when you see the children dying because they can’t be attended to. A lot of children will become amputees. There will be serious implications for the future.’

This is the latest in many concerns for the welfare of children in Haiti. Each year an estimated 400,000 children are cared for as orphans due to the impact of extreme poverty and HIV/AIDS. Father Chambers, who lived in Haiti previously, says that without support, the implications of HIV/AIDS coupled with such dire economic circumstances leaves little hope for the children of Haiti.

‘Parents die from HIV/AIDS. Others die on the perilous seas as they try to illegally immigrate to the US and the Bahamas in boats that aren’t sturdy,’ he said. ‘Families are so poor they are not able to feed their children, so they sell them to rich families. The children become slaves – even as young as 10 years of age. Sadly, many children sold as ‘domestic helpers’ are physically abused and run away or are found by the State.’

‘Without the help of the Catholic Church, a lot of these children would end up with little future – certainly not the one we’d hope for our own children,’ said Martin Teulan, of Missio in Australia.

Mgr John Dale, National Director for England and Wales, commented. ‘Missio has always supported the Church in Haiti, helping it to grow and develop in its own distinctive way. We will do whatever we can for Haiti’s children as they face a future that nobody could have anticipated.’

38% of the population of Haiti are children under the age of 14. So soon after the earthquake, it is impossible to know whether or not this proportion is unchanged. What is certain is that the number of orphans and children with disabilities will be vastly increased whilst the structures which might offer support have been severely disrupted or even destroyed.

One urgent priority for the children of Haiti is to offer the familiar security of a classroom in which they can resume their education, but also be helped to work through their trauma. Fortunately, supporting Haiti’s schools has been one of Missio’s concerns for many years whilst helping the Caribbean countries, including Haiti, in their projects for Children, for the Church and for the Community. Last year alone Haiti received more than £286,000 in support from Missio internationally for basic and preventative healthcare, education, pastoral care and building projects, including reconstruction after massive flooding in May 2009.

You can donate to the Church in Haiti through Missio. For further information, please phone 020 7821 9755 or e-mail Monsignor John Dale at: director@missio.org.uk or visit www.missio.org.uk for website donations.