He was born under the rubble of the earthquake that struck Syria. Her mother kept her long enough with life in order to rescue her. “When she arrived she had seizures because she had been born three hours before rescuing her,” explained one of the doctors who treated her. But when Governess was admitted, several groups tried to kidnap her in Cihan Hospital, in the town of Afrin. This little girl is an example of life but also of the great risks that boys and girls face in disasters like this.

“The case is so absolute that it brings together unprotected children, institutions that cannot control and borders where there is no type of anything,” denounces from Unicef Lorraine Cobas. Kidnapping attempts, denounced by several NGOs, are all too common. “Loss of children who do not identify themselves, disappear from the radar of their adult references and this is a very great risk,” he adds. Sandra Ferrer of Plan International.

For this reason, after the first phase of searching for survivors, the focus should be children. Ferrer insists on the need for some first psychological support for girls and boys and a safe space, where NGOs can more calmly identify minors and their families. “That they are alone does not mean that they do not have a family,” insists Cobas.

Like Aya, who was left without a mother and four siblings, but it will be her uncle, when she leaves the hospital, who will stay with her. Everything possible must be done to ensure that the dark episode in Haiti is repeated. “They took the children and took them to the airport. A colleague of ours told us that she saw how people went with groups of children,” explains Ferrer. These children were destined for trafficking, sexual exploitation or, in the best of cases, for illegal adoptionsthey say from the NGOs.