Mahmut Aytekin

REPORT ON WORLD’S ORPHANS JULY 2014 REPORT ON WORLD’S ORPHANS 1 July 2014 Prepared by H. Zehra Kavak Published by IHH Humanitarian and Social Researches Center Pictures: IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation Translator: Münire Zeynep Maksudoğlu IHH Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief Büyük Karaman Cad. Taylasan Sok. No: 3 Pk. 34230 Fatih/İstanbul, TURKEY Ph: - | Fax: - www.ihh.org.tr |-www.ihhakademi.com 2 REPORT ON WORLD’S ORPHANS CONTENT 2 INTRODUCTION 4 BASIC TERMINOLOGIES OF BEING ORPHAN Fatherless Child Motherless Child Child in Need of Protection Judicially Orphan 6 FACTS OF ORPHANSHIP IN THE WORLD World Map of Orphans Conditions Causing to be Orphan, and Orphan Producing Regions Threats Against Orphans 24 EXEMPLARILY IHH AND ITS ORPHAN CARE PROJECTS Orphan Sponsorship Support System Establishing Orphanages Orphan Solidarity Days “Each Class Has an Orphan Fellow” Campaign International Children’s Get Together Programs Additional Agendas on IHH’s Orphan Care Projects 36 WORLD ORPHANS’ DAY 39 CONCLUSION REPORT ON WORLD’S ORPHANS 1 INTRODUCTION Children are the most vulnerable indivudials getting the badly effects of crisis and conflicts happening around the world. Child population makes up 2.2 billion of 7 billion world populations. And 143 to 210 million of child population are orphaned. The regions where most orphans living are Asia, Africa Latin America and the Middle East. The current hot conflict regions are the places with an escalating number of orphans. For instance, due to the Syrian crisis that has taken a death toll of over 200,000, 70,000 Syrian refugee families are living in the places they took refuge without the heads of their families. In addition to this number around 4,000 Syrian refugee children who lost both their parents are trying to survive in the refugee camps. The children who lose one or both parents due to war, invasion, natural disasters, conflict, chronic poverty and terminal illnesses like diseases such as AIDS are left vulnerable and without anyone to carefor them. In these cases, due to the anarchy in regions of crisis children face numerous dangers such as human trafficking, adoption against will, recruitment as child soldiers, child labour, organ mafia, prostitution and begging gangs, missionary organizations, substance abuse and various 2 REPORT ON WORLD’S ORPHANS crime rings. Between 1987 and 2007 1 million children were kidnapped by organ mafia. 300,000 children are currently used as child soldier around the World. Every year 4 million people who are mostly children and women are forcibly displaced because of human trafficking in or outside their country. It is every child’s birthright to live, get education, healthcare, shelter and protection against physical and psychological abuse. International community has a responsibility to guarantee these basic rights of children and to protect them against abuse. IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation which is one of the outstanding NGOs in international community acts with that responsibility and provides regular help to the orphans in 46 crisis regions including Arakan, Afghanistan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Chad, Palestine, Haiti, Iraq, Lebanon, Moro, Patani, Somalia and Sudan. With the initiative of IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation 15th of every Ramadan is recognized as “World Orphans’ Day” by Organiation of Islamic Conference. The report hereby aims to help the scale of the problem understood better by providing a framework regarding the situtation of orphans and the threats they face. REPORT ON WORLD’S ORPHANS 3 BASIC TERMINOLOGIES OF BEING ORPHAN Fatherless Child According to Islamic jurisprudence Yateem, is a pre-pubescent boy or a girl who lost his/her father.1It derives from the Arabic word yutm meaning “to be alone, to be left alone” and referring to the singleness of the objects. According to some, the child who lost his father is called yateem as he is left alone.2 In Arabic ‘ajiyy refers to the child who lost his mother and lateem refers to the child who lost both his parents. Nonetheless yateem is used to cover all these meanings.3 The word yateem (orphan), which is used in Muslim societies to refer to the child who lost his father, in the West refers to the child who lost one of both of his parents.4 Motherless Child (Öksüz) Öksüz, is a Turkish word used to refer to the child who lost his/her mother. It derives from the word ök in Turkish which means “tie, cord” and also refers to umbilical cord. 4 REPORT ON WORLD’S ORPHANS Therefore a child who lost his/her mother is without ök thus öksüz.5 Like it is mentioned above, in Arabic the word ‘ajiyy is used to refer to a child who lost his/her mother. Child in Need of Protection Although having their one or both parents alive, there are children in Turkey and elsewhere who need protection. A child who has an unknown parent, a child who is abandoned by one or both parents and vulnerable against the risks such as begging gangs, substance abuse and organ mafia are under this category. These children are defined as “children in need of protection” by Social Welfare Services and Society for the Protection of Children.6 Judicially Orphan When one of the parents is missing or abandons the child or is estranged from the child due to divorce, the child can be judicially considered orphan.7 This concept which is used in some Muslim countries, coincides with “child in need of protection.” That is because there are many children who although not orphans, are without their parents’ protection and need to be protected. IHH & Orphans IHH’s orphan care program covers the children in Turkey or else where in the world who lost one or both parents due to war, invasion, natural disaster, diseases, accident or extreme chronic poverty and stay with a relative or in the orphanage. REPORT ON WORLD’S ORPHANS 5 Children’s Rights Worldwide 2014 Good situation Satisfactory situation The map showing children’s rights worldwide give also an idea about the situation of Orphans. The red and orange colored regions which are the worst place for world’s children are at the same time the regions where a huge orphan population live in very difficult condition. Noticeable problems Difficult situation Very serious situation www.humanium.org FACTS OF ORPHANSHIP IN THE WORLD World Map of Orphans Children are the most vulnerable indivudials getting the badly effects of crisis and conflicts happening around the world. Many children are orphaned due to war, invasion, natural disasters, chronic poverty, diseases etc. Child population makes up 2.2 billion of 7 billion 6 REPORT ON WORLD’S ORPHANS world populations.8 And 143 to 210 million of 2.2 billion child population are orphaned.9 It is estimated that the orphan population of the world will reach 400 million in 2015.10 For as much as one child loses a parent every 2 seconds. 11 Asia, Africa Latin America and the Middle East are the regions where the largest orphan populations reside. A major part of world’s orphan population lives in underdeveloped or developing countries. Only India has 31 million orphans.12 On the other hand, illegitimate children, disabled children, children whose parents divorced are also abandoned in the streets. The world map above gives an idea about the situation of orphan children with regards to their rights. The regions highlighted in red and black have the biggest orphan population who is living in very hard conditions. As it is shown above the orphan population of the world is estimated above 200 millions. On the other hand, “The Report on the Situation of World Children” published by UNICEF in 2014 states the world’s orphan population at 150 million. However, due to lack of reliable information and comprehensive data, countries harbouring massive orphan populations such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine, Sudan, Bangladesh, India and China are not included in this report. According to the UNICEF report concerned, the figures of orphan population in the world are as follows: Child population makes up 2.2 billion of 7 billion world populations. And 143 to 210 million of 2.2 billion child population are orphaned. NUMBER OF ORPHANS IN THE WORLD13 Children orphaned due to AIDS (2012 estimates) Orphan Children (2012 estimates) Sub Saharan Africa 15,100,000 56,000,000 East and South Africa 10,600,000 27,900,000 West and Central Africa 4,400,000 28,100,000 Middle East&North Africa 100,000 5,500,000 South Asia 610,000 40,800,000 East Asia & Pacific 780,000 26,900,000 South America&Caribbeans 830,000 7,800,000 Central & East European / Commonwealth Countries 260,000 6,200,000 Underdeveloped Countries 7,600,000 42,900,000 World* 17,800,000 150,000,000 * Some countries overlap with more than one region due to the regional categorization of UNICEF. For instance data of Djibouti is included in Sub-Saharan Africa, in both Middle East and North Africa as well as underveloped countries categories. Therefore the gross total of the numbers is the figure indicated at the last row not the addition of all the figures together. REPORT ON WORLD’S ORPHANS 7 TOP TEN COUNTRIES WITH HIGHEST ORPHAN POPULATION14 Country Number of Orphans 1 India 31,000,000 2 China 20,600,000 3 Nigeria 12,000,000 4 Bangladesh 4,800,000 5 Ethiopia 4,800,000 6 Indonesia 4,700,000 7 Congo 4,200,000 8 Pakistan 4,200,000 9 Brazil 3,700,000 10 South Africa 3,400,000 Independent resources provide different numbers for the orphan population of the abovementioned countries. Humanitarian organizations operating in those countries indicate that the actual number which is hard to know due to the lack of facilities to carry out a census, low income and AIDS. TOP 10 COUNTRIES WHERE MAJORITY OF CHILD POPULATION IS ORPHAN15 Country Number of Orphans The Percentage of Orphans to the Total Population of Children (%) 1 Zimbabwe 1,400,000 22.67 2 Lesoto 200,000 20.99 3 Zambia 1,300,000 20.73 4 Mozambique 2,100,000 19.25 5 Swaziland 100,000 18.73 6 South Africa 3,400,000 18.49 7 Ecuador Guinea 45,000 18.22 8 Republic of Centreal Africa 370,000 17.31 9 Liberia 340,000 16.86 10 Angola 1,500,000 16.63 Apart from the countries shown in the table above, it is reported by the organizations working in the region that neighbouring countries of South Africa, Botswana and Namibia have also high proportion of orphan population due to AIDS. Moreover, according to local sources there are 2.5 million orphans in Ugand 1.2 million of which is orphaned due to AIDS related factors. 8 REPORT ON WORLD’S ORPHANS Momin Khaled is from Palestine. He is living in a small house in Gaza with her mother and four siblings. When he was 2 years old he lost his father to a disease. He is studying at form 7 and quite punctual about his daily prayers. After school, he goes to mosque to learn the Quran by heart and practice beautiful recitation from afternoon until evening prayer’s time. 12-year-old Momin Khaled’s only wish is a bigger house with electricity and a soccer field where he can play with his friends. He wants to become an engineer and build beautiful buildings in Gaza and never stops talking about Turkey, PM Erdogan, Istanbul and Gaza Flotilla. REPORT ON WORLD’S ORPHANS 9 Conditions Causing to be Orphan, and Orphan Producing Regions a. Being Orphan Due to War, Invasion, Conflict etc. War, invasion, natural disasters and similar crisis are the underlying reasons that cause children losing their parents, thus orphaned. Today the hot conflict regions are the places that are home for the highest number of orphans. These regions are also the places where number of orphan ever-growing. For instance, in its fourth year the Syrian crisis has taken a death toll of over 200,000. The war displaced over 9 million Syrians within the country or made them flee to neighbouring countries.16 More than 1 million Syrian children are living as refugees in neighbouring countries. Last November United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reported that 70,000 Syrian refugee families are living 10 REPORT ON WORLD’S ORPHANS without the father of family while 4,000 refugee children are trying to survive without both parents.17 Thousands of Syrian orphans or those without anyone live on the streets of those countries they took refuge thus they are open to abuse and exploitation. The ongoing war causes more children to be orphaned and the human crisis to grow deeper. Afghanistan is another country that has a large orphan children population due to war. With Soviet occupation in 1979 and the following American intervention it has been struggling with wars over the past 30 years. The long wars took a death toll of over 2 million people, which resulted in so many unprotected and vulnerable children with no parents. During the Soviet occupation 7.5 million people were displaced 14,000 villages were destroyed. It is reported that currently there are over 400,000 disabled children in Afghanistan. Due to the incapacity to make a reliable count down UNICEF 2014 Report does not quote any number about Afghanistan. Yet due to on-going conflict the number of orphaned children increases daily. In Afghanistan children face the threat of kidnapping, recruitment as child soldier, forced labour, being sold for money and getting disabled due to land mines.18 The Republic of Central Africa whose 4.5 million population’s quarter became refugees with the civil war that started last year; Mali where 400,000 people have become refugees in 2013;19 Somalia which has over 2 million people who are displaced or fled to neighbouring countries as refugees 490,000 of which are orphan children;20 Sudan where 30-year-war took a death toll of 2 million people and displaced 4 million people as refugees and eventually led to the partition of the country in 2011; Nigeria where over 1,500 people died within the with quarter of 2014;21 are among the African countries which have hot conflict going on and have as a result lots of orphan children. Iraq and Palestine in the Middle East are also the countries housing lots of orphans due to on-going hot conflict; only in Iraq, there is an estimated number of 5 million orphans. In South East Asia Patani and Arakan, in Far East Asia Moro are the regions harbouring lots of orphans due to long civil wars. REPORT ON WORLD’S ORPHANS 11 b. Being Orphan Due to Poverty In regions where poverty has become chronic, that the political power cannot produce solutions to eliminate this situation and that some crises undermining social order such as internal fights take place deepen the dimensions of the problem and because of this, deaths resulting from poverty may be experienced in those regions. Chronic poverty can be defined as the long dated poverty where the problems resulting from poverty affect human life. For people living under chronic poverty conditions, whose daily receipt is under 1-2 12 REPORT ON WORLD’S ORPHANS dollars and who cannot even meet their food need, it is nearly impossible to reach education and social services. People whose immune systems weaken because of poor nutrition lose their lives due to chronic hunger as well as the illnesses they undergo and cannot get treated. In this sense, poverty is among the primary reasons increasing the population of orphans in the world. According to the data of World Bank, out of 7 billion world population, 1.22 billion is living under extreme poverty conditions. 22 That is their daily receipt is under 1.25 dollars.23 Daily receipt of half of world population that is of more than 3 billion people is under 2.50 dollars. 842 million people in the world don’t have any food.24 Every day 22,000 children lose their lives because of poverty.25 On the other hand, unguarded orphan children have the risk to lose their lives because of poverty. c. Being Orphan Due to Natural Disasters Natural disasters are one of the leading factors contributing to the increasing number of orphan population in the World. According to the official reports, 6,000 people died in tsunami in Haiyan, Philipinnes in 2013 and 6 million children were affected from it.26 So many children lost their parents in earthquake in Haiti in 2011. The orphans make up 300,000 of the 10-million country population.27Again, tsunami in Japan in 2011 resulted in 200 children losing their both parents and 1,200 children losing one of the parents.28 According to the official reports the earthquake that hit Pakistan, Afghanistan and India in 2005 took a death toll of 75,000. In total 3.5 million people were affected by this earthquake.29 The floods that happened in Pakistan in 2010 affected the lives of more than 20 million people, caused 2,000 people die and destroyed 12,000 villages.30 The official number of casualties of the 2004 tsunami in South East Asia, which was one of the greatest natural disasters history ever witnessed and affected 14 countries, is 230,000.31 The drought that happened in 2011 in East Africa countries like Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Kenya affected 13.5 million people.32 This disaster which was the worst in 60 years caused death of 50-100,000 people. 33 As a result of the natural disasters which affect the lives of thousands, millions of people and take high death toll, thousands of children lose their parents and become orphans. On the other hand some of the regions where the natural disasters happen are already extremely poor and hot conflict areas that put the catastrophe even in larger scale and leave children without anyone open to risks of exploitation. As a result of the natural disasters which affect the lives of thousands, millions of people and take high death toll, thousands of children lose their parents and become orphans. REPORT ON WORLD’S ORPHANS 13 d. Being Orphan because of AIDS Children in the World who lost their parents to AIDS 15.1 million live in Sub-Saharan African countries. AIDS is a crucial factor for children, particularly in Africa where a significant part of world’s orphan population are haused, to lose their parents. Children in the World who lost their parents to AIDS 15.1 million live in SubSaharan African countries. It is estimated that the number of children losing parents to AIDS will reach 25 million in 2015. From that point of view, AIDS is an illness that grows and costs lives rapidly. The children who lose their parents due to AIDS also happen to face extreme chronic poverty and become refugees. Moreover, there are 2.3 million children in Africa that are infected with AIDS. The children generally catch the disease from their mother either during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Being orphan with the reason of AIDS is an acute reality in Africa so much so that in certain SubSaharan African countries children orphaned due to AIDS make up a significant part of the total orphan population. For instance, 74% of orphans in Zimbabwe and 63% of orphans in South Africa have lost their parents due to AIDS.34 Asia is the second after Africa with the highest rate of orphaned children due to AIDS. 1.1 million children in Asia lost their parents by AIDS. One child loses a parent to AIDS every 15 seconds.35 According to Convention on the Rights of the Child adopted and ratified by the UN General Assembly in 1989, each individual under 18 is a child. Every child has certain basic rights including the right to live, the right to get education, the right to receive healthcare, the right to have shelter, the right to be protected from physical and psychological abuse and exploitation. The convention ratified by UN and accepted by 193 countries, dictates that no matter what children’s best advantage should be taken care of. Accordingly, not only parents of the child but also governments have an obligation to act to the children’s best interest and protect their rights at all circumstances.36 14 REPORT ON WORLD’S ORPHANS Threats Against Orphans Orphans need emotional support as well as support for physical needs like shelter, food, healthcare, education. Due to their conditions as orphans they experience feelings of anxiety, depression, anger and isolation. According to a research on orphans in Uganda 12% of AIDS orphans are willing to die.37 Those orphans who are sheltered by their relatives have to live in crowded low-income households where they also try to help with house chores, looking after their siblings and tending to their sick parent. When orphan children are not protected by their families, relatives or reliable institutions they face various life-threatening dangers. Human trafficking, given up adoption, child soldier recruitment, child labour, organ mafia, missionaries, getting involved in a crime, substance abuse are among the threats they face. a. Human Trafficking Every year 4 million people of whom are mostly women and children are displaced within or outside their countries because of human trafficking.38 In underdeveloped and developing countries orphan children and those with no one are the best target for the human traffickers who take advantage of chaos and anarchy. Prostitution is one of the major inhumane sectors that human traffickers force the children into. It is estimated that 200-500,000 children are forced to work in prostitution in Brazil. Cambodia is one of the top countries where World prostitution mafia kidnaps children most.39 Thailand, Mexico and India are the major countries that provide human resources for prostitution sector.40 Every year 45-50,000 women and children are entering the USA against their will.41 Orphans who are kidnapped by human traffickers face the threat of organ mafia, forced adoption and forced labour apart from prostitution. Human trafficking, given up adoption, child soldier recruitment, child labour, organ mafia, missionaries, getting involved in a crime, substance abuse are among the threats they face. REPORT ON WORLD’S ORPHANS 15 b. Given up for Adoption In places of chaos children who are left with no one to protect them are kidnapped to be sold out to the families in developing countries. What is best to be done for orphans is to support them while they stay with their families and if this is not possible in orphanages, then at least in their home countries. It is one of the worst scenarios to happen for an orphan to be adopted from abroad. Today, foreign adoption has become a sector where children from developing countries like Ethiopia, Cambodia, Somalia, Afghanistan, China and Philipinnes are kidnapped with various tricks and promises and are sold out for adoption to mostly European and American families thus torn away from their families and culture and countries. Child adoption sector is one of the biggest threats which orphans face. Ethiopia is one of the countries from which American families 16 REPORT ON WORLD’S ORPHANS adopt children most. While in 2003, 900 children from Ethiopia were adopted from abroad, this number raised to 4,564 in 2009.42 The option of being adoption which is very harmful for the orphan’s mental helath is mostly carried out illegally. In places of chaos children who are left with no one to protect them are kidnapped to be sold out to the families in developing countries. For instance, in 2010 in the aftermath of Haiti earthquake which has taken a death toll of 200,000 people, Christian missionaries stopped at the border of Dominican Republic were caught red handed while trying to get 33 children from Haiti with no legal papers out of the country. Upon investigation it was found out that these children had at least one parent alive.43 c. Child Soldiers Children below 18 recruited as soldiers by governmental or non-governmental agents are considered as “child soldier.” According to UNICEF report of 2003 there are around 300,000 child soldiers in 20 countries.44 Girls make up 40% of the child soldiers in different parts of the World and some child soldiers are under 10.45 Although it generally is the insurgent gorups that use the children against the governments, there are also child soldiers used by the governments. Children serve as cook, spy, ward as well as combatant. Children are even forced to kill their own family members, by the group that recruited them. By killing the only remaining people from their families those children are left without any family ties. War lords recruit children soldiers because it is easier to manipulate them as they are not fully aware of dangers and repercussions of their actions and they work for little money while their expenses are smaller so they cost much less than adults do. A significant part of child soldiers are orphan children. It is easier to lure them by offering shelter and food and exploiting their need of belonging to some group. Orphans who are recruited as child soldiers run the risk of getting involved in crimes, substance abuse, getting crippled, and isolation from society while they are denied their rights as a child. It is prohibited by international law for children join combat. It is a war crime to recruit children under 15 as soldiers.46 Africa has the biggest number of child soldiers in the World. Republic of Central Africa, Chad, Democratic Congo, Somlia and Sudan are among the top countries where they have child soldiers.47 The following countries are reported to have child soldiers since 2011; Afghanistan, Colombia, India, Iraq, occupying government of Israil, Libya, Mali, Pakistan, Thailand, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.48 Orphans who are recruited as child soldiers run the risk of getting involved in crimes, substance abuse, getting crippled, and isolation from society while they are denied their rights as a child. REPORT ON WORLD’S ORPHANS 17 d. Child Labour A research done on orphans and/ or abandoned children between ages 6-12 shows that one in every seven orphan and/ or abandoned children are employed as child labour. 18 REPORT ON WORLD’S ORPHANS Child labour is another threat that orphans face. In the absence of one of the parents and out of necessity to take care of a sick parent and contribute to the family’s livelihood children are employed at jobs more than they can bear. It deprives from attending school and is mentally physically and socially dangerous and harmful. The research done on child labour in 10 Sub-Saharan African countries including Angola, Burundi, Republic of Central Africa, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Kenya, Lesoto, Senegal, Swaziland and Zambia point out to the correlation between being orphan and being employed as cheap labour.49 There are regions in Asia Pacific where children labour is used extensively. Nonetheless African continent has the highest incidence rates in child labour. One in every 5 children aged 5 to 17 works as child labourer in Africa. %58.6 of child labourers work in agriculture, while %32.3 work in service sector and %7.2 work in industry.51 Textile in South East Asia and agriculture and domestic service are the sectors where children are employed as cheap labour. In most countries girls who are still children are forced into prostitution. In India, China and Thailand there are children who are forced to work 12-14 hours for 7 days a week. A research done on 1,480 orphans and/or abondoned children between ages 6-12 in Cambodia, Ethiopia, India, Kenya and Tanzania shows that one in every seven orphan and/or abandoned children are employed as child labour.50 According to International Labour Organization (ILO) reports there are 264,5 million full or part time and 168 million full time working children in the World. And 85 million children out of them are working dangerous jobs. Due to hard working conditions children who are forced to work at school age experience problems with eyesight, muscle pain, headache, malnutrition, pulmonary diseases, cuts and infections and work accidents as well as psychological problems. A child labourer employed at carpet weaving sector from 7 am to 10 pm who says that “I sleep on a straw. I miss my family. I want to go home but my boss does not let me”52 depicts how grave the situation of child labourers is. e. Organ Mafia Orphans in places suffering from natural disasters, conflict and extreme chronic poverty face the threat of falling prey to the organ mafia. Organ mafia’s top targets include orphans, abandoned children with no one, homeless children, homeless disabled children. There are also cases where poor families sell the organs of their children although less than the first. Organ trafficking is considered an organized crime. According to World Health Organization (WHO) 7,000 illegal kidney transplantations are happening every year.53 Between 1987 and 2007 1 million children were kidnapped for their organs.54 Organs trafficked from Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe, ex-SSCB countries and Latin America is illegally transplanted to the patients in developing countries. It may even happen that children lose their lives during illegal transplantation surgeries carried out in unsuitable places in terms of health and hygiene. Children whose vital organs like kidney, heart or eyesare taken are left out on the streets to their fate and fall into the hands of begging or Street gangs. The children living in regions of crisis become the primary target of organ mafia as they are open to abuse and exploitation. For instance it is reported in the press that 14 children gone missing in June 2010 in Gaza have been kidnapped by organ mafia,55 and that organ mafia buys their children from Syrian refugee families in Turkey.56 Organ mafia’s top targets include orphans, abandoned children with no one, homeless children, homeless disabled children. f. Disabled Children and Begging Gangs Another threat awaiting orphan and children with no one is being forced to beg on the streets by criminal gangs or even worse being crippled by the gang for this purpose. Orphans disabled by birth are also targets of those criminal gangs. With 80 million disabled people, China has the largest disabled population in the world. Disabled children are abandoned in the streets.57 A similar situation is observed in other countries where the disabled population rates are different. These children are targeted by organ mafia, prostitution mafia, human traffickers and begging gangs. For instance in India where around 30% of the 1.2 billion population is living under chronic poverty line, 300,000 children are begging on the streets. Most of the beggar children who are deliberately crippled and forced to work by gangs earn around 50 paunds a day in a country where average monthly salary is below 100 paunds. Therefore, forced child-begging has become an established sector for criminal gangs.58 These incidences are mostly observed in developing or underdeveloped countries. REPORT ON WORLD’S ORPHANS 19 g. Missionaries Missionary organization that work intensively around the world especially target orphan children. 20 REPORT ON WORLD’S ORPHANS Another threat that orphans living in regions of crisis and chronic poverty is missionary activities. In the aftermath of 2010 Haiti earthquake Christian missionaries, who were stopped at the border of Dominican Republic, were caught red handed while trying to kidnap 33 children whose ages range from 2 months to 12 years.59 In another incident in Chad in 2008 members of a French missionary organization named L’Arche de Zoé were caught while they were illegally trying to take 103 children out of Chad. Upon investigation it was found out that 85% of those children who were planned to be given away to European families for adoption, had actually at least one parent alive.60 In 2004 similar incidences happened following the tsunami in Ache. In 2008, in a field research carried out in Kyrgizstan, it was found out that around 0,6% (250,000) of the Muslim population (4,160,000) in the country which has 80% majority Muslim converted to Christianity as a result of the missionary activities. According to the reports as of January, 2009 there are 364 missionary organizations operating in Kyrgzstan.61 Missionary organization that work intensively around the world especially target orphan children. Missionaries, who are members of Christian church sent into an area to do evangelism, operate “in order to hinder Christians from becoming Muslims and convert Muslims to Christianity and advocate Christian principles against Islam and create controversy abaout Islamic principles, teach weak points of Islam and create disagreement between Muslims about Islamic regulations.”62 From the beginning, missionaries have targeted nonChristian, especially Muslim world and carried out consistent and systematic activities to serve certain goals. In this regard, missionaries approach needy communities and individuals thus orphans and provide food, accomodation, healthcare and educational assistances at first and later realize their goals through the relationships established with the needy people during aid activities. Another strategy that is employed by missionaries is to take away the orphans from their native land and give them to Christian families for adoption which paves the way for their conversion to Christianity. h. Getting Involved in Crimes and Substance Addiction Crime rates are very high among the orphans living on the streets or those who are dismissed from the orphanages when they turn 18. For instance in Ukraine, there are 450 orphanages with 100,000 people capacity; there are 100,000 Ukrainian orphans living on the streets because the orphanages do not have the space to accommodate them. It is reported that 10% of the orphans who leave the orphanages before 18 commit suicide, 60% of the girl orphans get involved with prostitution and 70% of the boy orphans get involved with various crimes.63 There are more than 700,000 orphans living in 2,000 state-run orphanages in Russia. According to the figures, in Russia only one in every 10 orphan children is able to integrate into socity while the rest has varying rates of suicide, substance abuse, and crime. In Russia there are millions of children living on the streets, in the sewage holes.64 REPORT ON WORLD’S ORPHANS 21 Dina from Aceh who was dearest to her parents, was 9 years old when the tsunami happened in her country. While they were watching television with her parents, they were first shaken with an earthquake. When they run outside they were along with all they had caught up by massive waves. When the waves subsided a stranger found Dina in an unkown place. Her relatives who came to pick her up told her that her parents are no longer alive. Dina could not believe it for a while. Today, 17-year-old Dina is living in Istanbul Orphanage Complex built by IHH in the region. She loves orphanage which is her adopted home, her friends with whom she plays games after school and share her room and her parents from Turkey who sponsor her. Today Dina is studying at the faculty of theology of Uludag University. Her biggest dream is to build a school for orphan children like her. 22 REPORT ON WORLD’S ORPHANS Na’ima is 12 years old. She is living with her mother and two brothers and two sisters in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu. When she was 8 years old her father died due to an illness. Their life changed entirely after his death; they had to face lots of problems and they were not able to afford their basic livelihoods. She never goes without making prayers when her father’s name is mentioned and wishes her mother long life. 12 people they are renting a tin covered house. She goes to school in the morning and goes to Quranic School in the afternoon. She says she does not have any friends save her siblings. She wants to become a doctor if she can and help her mother raise her siblings. The only fun activities in her simple life is swinging and telling jokes to her siblings. In order to pursue her education Naima needs more support. One of her dreams is to visit the museums in Turkey and IHH that has been supporting her. REPORT ON WORLD’S ORPHANS 23 EXEMPLARILY IHH AND ITS ORPHAN CARE PROJECTS Orphan Sponsorship Support System Since 1992, IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation is trying to deliver aid to the needy people no matter where they live, and to handle the causes of impoverishment from a humanitarian perspective. With the same goal, IHH is carrying out activities to make sure that the orphans are taken care of in their countries by their mothers or relatives or live in orphanages and similar safe places. Orphan Sponsorship Support System activities between the years- 46 Countries 28,000 43,644 45,000 40,000 43 Countries 22,000 34,644 35,000 30,000 36 Countries 13,379 23,226 25,000 39 Countries 16,735 27,354 27 Countries 24 Countries 11,190 15,890 13,179 15,392 20,000 15,000 14 Countries 5,011 5,375 10,000 12 Countries 5,000 2,300 2,- 2008 Number of Sponsors 24 REPORT ON WORLD’S ORPHANS 2009 2010 2011 Number of Orphans 2012 2013 2014 With Orphan Sponsorship Support System launched in 2007, IHH has gained momentum in its orphan care activities it has been carrying out since its extablishment. As of June 2014, IHH provides regular assistance to 43,644 orphans in 52 cities in No Countries 1 Afghanistan 2 Albania Sponsored Orphans 149 Turkey and across 46 countries and territories in the world. Orphan Sponsorship Support System allows sponsors support the orphans with a monthly donation of $45 which covers their education, healthcare, food and clothing expenses. No Countries Sponsored Orphans 24 Macedonia 381 1,697 25 Malawi 125 3 Bangladesh 367 26 Egypt 774 4 Bosnia&Herzegovina 424 27 Mauritania 700 5 Burkina Faso 159 28 Myanmar/Arakan 150 6 Djibouti 184 29 Nepal 28 7 Chad 300 30 Pakistan 649 8 Chechnya 390 31 Preshevo 50 9 Equador 12 32 Rwanda 93 126 33 Sandjak 119 34 Sierra Leone 400 10 Indonesia/Aceh 11 Ethiopia 12 Philipinnes/Moro 13 Palestine 2,225 120 35 Somalia 12,641 36 Sri Lanka 3,778 991 14 Ghana 196 37 Sudan 1,882 15 Georgia 43 38 Syria 1,389 16 Haiti 86 39 Tajikistan 199 17 Iraq 3,616 40 Tanzania 861 18 Kazakhistan 55 41 Thailand/Patani 372 19 Kashmir 60 42 Turkey 5,456 20 Kyrgyzstan 52 43 Uganda 50 21 Crimea 24 44 Jordan 50 22 Kosovo 161 45 Yemen 993 23 Lebanon 1,036 46 Zimbabwe TOTAL 31 43,644 REPORT ON WORLD’S ORPHANS 25 COUNTRIES AND REGIONS ORPHAN SPON North America Atlantic Ocean Mauritania Haiti Pasific Ocean Sierra Leone Ecuador 26 REPORT ON WORLD’S ORPHANS Burkina Faso Ghana SORSHIP SUPPORT SYSTEM CARRIED OUT Kazakhstan Bosnia-Herzegovina Crimea Chechnya Presevo Sandzak Macedonia Georgia Kosovo Albania Turkey Lebanon Palestine Syria Kyrgyzstan Tajikistan Afghanistan Iraq Jordan Kashmir Nepal Pakistan Bangladesh Egypt Myanmar / Arakan Chad Pacific Ocean Yemen Sudan Thailand / Pattani Djibouti Ethiopia Uganda Somalia Philippines / Moro Sri Lanka Indonesia / Aceh Rwanda Tanzania Indian Ocean Malawi Zimbabwe Australia REPORT ON WORLD’S ORPHANS 27 Establishing Orphanages IHH envisages with Orphan Sponsorship Support System that the orphan is raised in an environment of love and compassion by the mother or relatives. If both parents are dead and no relative willing to take care of the orphan is available, there is no other option but to establish orphanages and provide financial assistance to the already existing ones. From this point of view, IHH has been establishing new orphanages and undertaking renovation and refurnishment of the existing orphanages as well as providing periodical financial assistance to them in different countries and regions of the world. While identifying the regions to establish orphanages IHH used its 22-year-long field experience in crisis regions. In establishing orphanages, while the priority is given to countries and regions where the fact of orphanhood is at high rate and social opportunities are inadequate, the capacity and abilities of the partner organization in the region is also a determining factor. Education is mandatory for all the orphans staying at IHH orphanages. There are also tutorials for the spiritual and moral development of the orphans. IHH keeps on 28 REPORT ON WORLD’S ORPHANS supporting those orphans until they graduate from college or complete their occupational education. For those students who start studying at a college, student hostels or apartments are provided outside the campus so that they can join the life. Their education, healthcare, food, cloting and lodging expenses are covered in this period as well as recreative activities that a college life offers for students. Orphanages Established and Running By IHH MSAL Orphanage (2003) Rawalpindi/Pakistan Bursa Emir Sultan Orphanage (2005) Haripur/Pakistan İstanbul Orphanage (2006) Banda Aceh/Indonesia Daru’l-Iman Orphanage (2009) Cox’s Bazaar/Bangladesh Togra Orphanage (2009) Khulna/Bangladesh Rara Orphanage (2009) Muzafferabad-Kashmir/Pakistan Hacı Şerefoğlu Orphanage (2010) Cotabato-Moro/Philipinnes Şifa Orphanage (2011) Patani/Thailand Konya AYDER Orphanage (2011) Patani/Thailand Boğaziçi Orphanage (2012) Blantyre/Malawi Sargoda Orphanage (April2013) Sargoda/Pakistan Kardeşlik Orphanage (April2013) Kabul/Afghanistan Fatih Sultan Mehmet Orphanage (April 2013) Mohashkali/Bangladesh Miyase Tanış Orphanage (April 2013) Patani/Thailand Anadolu Orphan Education Complex (May 2013) Mogadishu/Somalia Babu’l-Amman Orphanage (September 2013) Dakka/Bangladesh Ramazan & Serap Üstünsoy Orphanage (April 2014) Bretnegar/Nepal II. Abdülhamid Solidariy Orphanage (April 2014) Gazipur/Bangladesh Furkan Kesik Orphanage (April 2014) Patani/Thailand Yaşar Zerdali Orphanage (April 2014) Patani/Thailand Şifa Orphanage (June 2014) Ouagadougou/Burkina Faso Darul Erkam Orphanage (June 2014) Haripur/Pakistan REPORT ON WORLD’S ORPHANS 29 Orphan Solidarity Days The first of which was organized in 2011, Orphan Solidarity Days take place during February, March and April every year in countries and regions where IHH carries out orphan care activities. As a part of the program donors and volunteers along with our teams visit the orphans and their families in their abodes and various educational, healthcare, social and cultural projects are realized in conjunction with the program. IHH teams also initiate and monitor and supervise various aid projects according to the needs of the region such as officiating the opening of an orphanage, giving start to construction of an orphanage, giving start to construction of houses for orphans or renovation of an orphan’s house, heating aid as a part of cosy winter project, food, clothes and stationary materials, medical check-up, distribution of blankets and mattresses, providing for the needs of the orphanages, distribution of dairy cows and setting up milk farms, chickenrabbit-peasant farms and hothouse, 30 REPORT ON WORLD’S ORPHANS opening fishmonger, grocery shop, bakery shop, restaurant, seamstress shop, stationary shop, purchasing sewing machine, sesame grinding machine, granting micro-credit and funding agricultural initiatives as part of self-sustainability projects for the orphans’ families. During the solidarity days games and plays are organized with the participation of our teams thus the orphans and our teams are more bonded with mercy and love. Orphan Solidarity Days not only bonds the volunteers and the orphans in different parts of the world but also serves to highlight the plight of orphans in the world. Another goal of this program is to deliver `we are with you` message in person to the orphans in their countries and pass the warm and kind regards and prayers of the donors to them. During 2014 Orphan Solidarity Days, IHH reached out to 65,000 orphans in Turkey and 41 different countries through 350 aid projects and organized the opening ceremonies of 5 orphanages that will accommodate 400 orphans in Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Patani (2 in Patani). Countries of Aid Projects in Orphan Solidarity Days In the Middle East: Turkey, Palestine, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen In Africa: Somalia, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Chad, Ghana, Sudan, Djibuti, Mauritania, Rwanda, Tanzania, Sierra Leone, Egypt In Asia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar/Arakan, Sri Lanka, Thailand/Patani, Indonesia/ Aceh, Pakistan, Kashmir, Philipinnes/ Moro, Nepal In Central Asia: Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan In the Balkans: Bosnia & Herzegovina, Albania, Macedonia. Kosovo, Preshevo, Sandjak In the Caucasus: Chechnya, Georgia In South America: Equador and Haiti. REPORT ON WORLD’S ORPHANS 31 “Each Class Has an Orphan Fellow” Campaign “Each Class Has An Orphan Fellow” campaign aims to help our children grow up as charitable, kind, conscious and concerned with others’ problems individuals with a moral awareness. The campaign is designed for the school children in Turkey through monthly donations contribute to the basic needs of orphans who lost their parents due to war, natural disasters, poverty and diseases around the world such as education, healthcare, food, lodging and clothing. As a part of the campaign, students from 2,084 schools across 80 cities in Turkey have volunteered to sponsor the expenses for basic needs of 6,655 orphans. The campaign which is organized 32 REPORT ON WORLD’S ORPHANS in conjunction with Ministry of Education and Department of Religious Affairs allows students at secondary and high schools share the hardship of their orphan brothers and sisters and ease their problems a bit. IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation has made efforts to put the campaign in the agenda of all school children around the world. For that purpose, with the idea that other countries too can implement a similar campaign at schools to the benefit of orphans, after producing the project dossier in seven different languages (Arabic, English, French, Spanish, German, Russian, Chinese) IHH has delivered them at the embassies of 127 countries. International Children’s Get Together Program IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation has been organizing international children’s get together programs in order to promote and publicize orphan care efforts it carries out in different parts of the world and bring it up in the public agenda. Orphans supported and sponsored by IHH participate in these events and make various performances. The events also feature presentations of local and international artists and are aired live to the millions of people around the world. Syria, Chechnya, Iraq, Tanzania, Sri Lanka, Albania, Sierra Leone, Azarbaijan and from Turkish citieis of Van and Kahramanmaraş performed in the event. The 5th of International Children’s Get Together Program took place in June 2012. Children from Palestine, Somalia, Aceh, Moro, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, REPORT ON WORLD’S ORPHANS 33 Additional Agendas on IHH’s Orphan Care Projects In addition to the abovementioned aid projects, IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation gives support to orphans in various different areas. The following are the list of other aid activities catering to the orphans: • Every year during Ramadan and Eid al-Adha thousands of orphans are supported in Turkey and in 136 countries. • Orphans’ families are supported for their livelihood and occupational training is provided to help them maintain themselves. • Picnics, scout camps and kite festivals are organized for children by IHH. • Houses of orphans are renovated and if needed rebuilt by IHH. 34 REPORT ON WORLD’S ORPHANS • Medical screenings, medication aid, surgeries, circumcisions and psychological rehabilitation are provided. • Scholarships, tutorials, occupational training, science tutorials are provided. • Schools, classrooms, laboratories and nurseries are built. • The children receive “Values Education” to help them grow up according to the basic religious and moral principles. • Trousseau and home furnishing aid is given to orphans of marrying age. • Clothes and school uniforms are distributed to the orphans. • Summer camps, picnics and trips are organized for the orphans. Muhiddin is living in Karakemer village by a river in the outskirts of Almty Mountains in Kazakhstan along with his mother, sister, grandparents, uncle and uncle’s wife. When he was five years old, his father passed away after suffering long from an illness. After his father’s death, they moved from Uzbekistan to this village with his family. For a while they did not tell him that his father was dead. Only when he started to understand the things around him better he realized the truth. Muhiddin loves playing with his friends in the mountains and fishing in the river. His biggest dream is to live in a bigger house just for his family and get to see the big city where there is a zoo, parks and a cinema. Muhiddin who is studying at fourth-grade of primary school with the emotional and financial support of Turkish sponsors, wants to become an astranaout when he grows up. REPORT ON WORLD’S ORPHANS 35 WORLD ORPHANS’ DAY With its 22-year-experience in the field of humanitarian aid, in December, 2013 IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation in conjunction with Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) has organized an international conference, “NGO’s Growing Role in the Muslim World.” Top 36 REPORT ON WORLD’S ORPHANS managers of NGOs from the Islamic world have participated in the conference. And highlighting the plight of orphans living in crisis regions of war, occupation and natural disaster IHH, has proposed to recognize a certain day as World Orphan Day in order to bring orphans’ problems in the agenda and raise public awareness about it. IHH has submitted this proposal to OIC 6 months prior to the conference. IHH’s proposal was discussed in the 40th session of Foreign Ministers Council of OIC held in Guinea’s capital Conakry on 9-11 December 2013 and it was decided that 15th of each Ramadan will be celebrated as “World Orphan Day” every year in the Muslim World. According to the decision number 1/40 – ICHAD Clause 21, OIC has notified all NGOs and humanitarian organizations about it and asked them to take initiative in order to raise awareness about the situation of the orphans and creating social projects improving their situation for that day. The first World Orphans’ Day shall be celebrated in 15th of Ramadan (12 July 2014) this year. In conjunction with World Orphans’ Day, IHH has also proposed a list of projects that is deemed necessary to be realized by Muslims countries in the short and the long run and sent it through OIC to all its member countries. Following is the list of IHH’s proposals that will help improve orphan children’s lives: • OIC countries should prepare a report about orphaned and abandoned children from which a comprehensive report of World Orphan Children shall be prepared. • Hall events, festivals and aid campaigns for the benefit of orphans should be organized OIC countries.Grand iftars should be held in the capitals or if possible in each city and orphanage of the OIC countries. Orphans should be the guests of honour in those events. • Aid campaigns aimed at raising funds for realizing education, health and social support projects catering orphan children. The ministries and NGOs of the countries concerned should oversee the campaigns to get concrete results. • In orphan programmes, there should be particular focus on the risks awaiting orphan children such as sex trade, drug abuse and alcoholism and necessary precautions should be taken in order to keep the children safe and away from them. • Raising awareness about orphan children and being in solidarity with them through art contests i.e. drawing, poetry and essay writing with the theme of orphaned and abandoned children held by Ministry of Education in all schools across the country. • Raising awareness about how much Islam gives value to the orphaned, abandoned children. It should be in cooperation with the Department of Religious Affairs in each country. • “Orphan, Waif and Abandoned Children” should be the theme of Friday sermons corresponding with the week of 15th Ramadan, in each OIC country. • Concrete steps in order to improve the physical conditions of the orphanages in each OIC country. • Making studies into vocational courses in order to equip the orphans better for the life after their stay in the orphanage. These courses will ensure every orphan to have an occupation when they complete their studies in the orphanage. • Organizing “Orphan Symposium” for public awareness in every OIC country. Realizing the decisions made in the symposium. Publishing the papers presented in the symposium therefore building a literature and source of reference. REPORT ON WORLD’S ORPHANS 37 • Holding regular scientific meetings regarding the orphan children in national level. • Organizing “Orphan Children Summit” in 2015 with the participation of OIC countries through their ministries and NGOs concerned. • Coming together within the body of OIC, NGOs expands the coverage of orphan related activities. • Taking precautions for children who face the risk of losing their parents thus becoming orphans in the areas hit by war, natural disasters and diseases like AIDS. • Developing projects including positive discrimination in order to help mothers of orphan children to make a living for their children so that they would not be lost to a ruthless life. • OIC should organize contests for “Orphan Children Projects” and sponsor the winners through OIC or IDB. • Providing rehabilitation and psychological support to orphan children. • Organizing Orphan Solidarity Days events with active participation of NGOs and government offices and departments concerned in all countries. Holding OSD events both in Islamic countries and in countries with Muslim minorities. (Turkey and Vietnam can become brother countries in this regard so that Turkey can support orphan children in Vietnam where Muslims are in minority.) • Carrying out orphan sponsorship programmes in OIC countries thus giving charitable and conscious people the opportunity to sponsor orphan children’s basic needs like education, healthcare, food and clothing etc. 38 REPORT ON WORLD’S ORPHANS • Developing a common logo for orphanages in the Muslim World. • Setting the criteria for sponsoring orphans (Setting the principles about a child’s human, moral and Islamic development and following-up the child’s development accordingly). • Opening social welfare department in all state and private universities in OIC countries. • Making a special quota at universities for orphan children. • Setting up orphan care units in OIC Humanitarian Forum member NGOs. • Checking the orphanages regularly and keeping the track of physical and psychological development of children. • Preparing the infrastructure for establishment of children homes where it feels more like a cosy family environment in OIC member countries. • Making adoption and foster family system compatible with Islamic law. • Supporting orphan children and getting plays, animation and feature cinema films done about the lives of orphan children. • Making sure that children get awareness at early age at school about orphan children through “Each Class Has an Orphan Fellow” projects. • Setting up a secretariat within OIC and in every OIC country for realization of abovementioned suggestions and keeping the track of decisions (Orphan Found) • Setting up a network for future orphan related work in the Islamic World, which will enable fast communication, transfer and cooperation. CONCLUSION When they fall prey to human traffickers, organ and prostitution mafia, begging gangs and missionary organizations that exploit children, it is very likely that orphans are entirely lost to the society. But if they are regularly supported with very small sums they will turn out to be virtuous individuals that we can entrust the future of this world. World Orphan Day, which was proposed by IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation with 22-year experience in orphan support work and acknowledged by OIC, is celebrated on 15th Ramadan every year. It will help to bring life threatening dangers that orphans face globally to the public’s attention and serve as a reason to realize social welfare projects for orphans. Our solution suggestions and findings about the situation of orphans in the world are as follows: REPORT ON WORLD’S ORPHANS 39 Findings • International institutions publishing statistics about orphans report that there are 143 to 210 million orphans worldwide. Given that the countries which have the biggest orphan populations like Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine, Sudan, Bangladesh, India and China are excluded in these statistics, it is fair to say that the actual number is much higher. • The biggest factors contributing to the orphan population’s rise are war, occupation, armed conflict and similar crisis. Currently due to political crisis Syria, Palestine, Iraq, Sudan, Somalia, Mali, Afghanistan, East Turkistan, Republic of Central Africa, Nigeria, Arakan and Patani are the countries where orphans’ number grows daily. • Natural disaster is another major cause that results in children losing their parents thus becoming orphans. The tsunami in Souteast Asia, Haiti earthquake, Pakistan earthquake, floods in Pakistan, typhoon in Philipinnes, drought in East Africa are disasters that caused many children become orphans. • Asia, Africa, Latin America and Middle East are the foremost regions where millions of children become orphans due to chronic poverty, natural disaster, war and invasions. • Orphan and homeless children around the world face with risk of death. They run the risk of falling prey to human traffickers, organ and prostitution mafia, missionaries and begging gangs. They can be given up for adoption, be forced to work as cheap labour, be recruited as child soldier, get 40 REPORT ON WORLD’S ORPHANS involved in crime and become addicted to substance. • Every year, 4 million people most of whome are women and children are displaced within and outside the country due to human trafficking. Human traffickers pose a great threat for orphans. • Adoption from abdroad has almost become a sector of itself. Children from developing countries like Ethiopia, Cambodia, Somalia, Afghanistan, China and Philipinnes are kidnapped with various tricks and promises and are sold out for adoption to mostly European and American families thus torn away from their families and culture and countries. • There are 300,000 child soldiers in around 20 countries. War lords recruit children soldiers because it is easier to manipulate them as they are not fully aware of dangers and repercussions of their actions and they work for little Money while their expenses are smaller so they cost much less than adults do. • In the absence of one of the parents and out of necessity to take care of a sick parent and contribute to the family’s livelihood children are employed at jobs more than they can bear. It deprives from attending school and is mentally physically and socially dangerous and harmful. It is reported that 85 milion children are forced to work in dangerous jobs around the world. • Begging gangs, missionaries, criminal gangs and substance abuse are the other life threatening dangers that orphan face. Recommendations • Affirmative steps should be taken to realize the abovementioned social welfare projects that were designed to improve orphan children’s lives and were proposed to Islamic countries through OIC so that they are implemented globally and especially in the Muslim countries. • Governments and nongovernmental agents have responsibility in order to solve the problems orphans are facing. • Through individual and collective work, official and civil bodies should take necessary precautions in order to remove the life-threatening dangers that await orphans and make sure that orphans get the chance to grow up in conditions that are suitable for a child and are integrated to the society. Necessary regulations and initiatives should be adopted to guarantee and protect the rights and lives of orphans. • It is important to support and protect the orphans while they stay within their own community with their family or relatives and to provide support to the family if deemed necessary. • It is the last resort to support an orphan within the structure of an orphanage. If it is inevitable that orphans have to stay in an orphanage the conditions that will not be so different than a cosy family should be created. Getting support in a healthy environment is vital to the orphans’ physical, emotional and moral development. A recent implementation in Turkey known as “Mercy homes” or “child homes” can be regarded as a positive development in this regard. • International entities like UN should take necessary steps in resolving the conflicts and crisis that cause more children become orphans. • Affirmative action should be taken against human traffickers, organ and prostitution mafia, missionaries and begging gangs that pose life threatening dangers for the orphans in places of cirisis; and individuals who have committed or conspired commit or aided, abetted or asissted those who did those offences should be punished. • World Orphans’ Day is a significant reason for fighting against criminal gangs that exploit the orphans. Those life threatening dangers should be brought into the public’s attention and abovementioned short-term and long-term projects should be implemented. • Serious efforts should be made in order to rescue those children who are currently used as cheap labour and child soldiers in the hands of those criminal gangs and to give them consequent psychological support to help them have a normal life.. REPORT ON WORLD’S ORPHANS 41 Abdurrahim is 15 years old. He is living in Togra Orphanage established by IHH in Bangladesh. When he was two years old, he lost his father because of an illness. He loves the orphanage where he plays with his friends and sings songs. The most distressful thing for him is that his family is so poor that some days they have to go to sleep hungry. He wants to be a teacher and earn a living for his family when he grows up. He feels that he is lucky to be sponsored by a family in Turkey and wishes that all his friends in the orphanage get the same chance. 42 REPORT ON WORLD’S ORPHANS End notes Vecdi Akyüz, İslam’da Yetim, İslam’da Yetim Hakları ve Sorumluluklarımız, İHH İnsani Yardım Vakfı, İstanbul: 2010. 1 2 3 Abdusselam Arı, “Yetim”, DİA, c. 43, ss. 501-503. Arı, “Yetim”, ss. 501-503. 4 UNICEF’in yetim tanımı için bk. “Orphans”, UNICEF, http://www.unicef.org/media/media_45279.html. numbers/documents/english/SOWC2014_In%20 Numbers_28%20Jan.pdf. “World Without Orphans”, The Orphan Challenge, February 2013, http://www.worldwithoutorphans.org/_ service/38803/download/id/35039/name/ Orphan+Challenge+Booklet+A5_Preview_05.pdf. 14 15 “Ök” ve “öksüz” kavramları için bk. Türk Dil Kurumu, www.tdk.org. 16 “Korunmaya Muhtaç Çocuk” kavramı tanımı için bk. Sosyal Hizmetler Çocuk Esirgeme Kurumu Kanunu 2828, http://www.cocukhizmetleri.gov.tr/tr/10524/BakimHizmetleri-Daire-Bsk. 17 5 6 7 Arı, “Yetim”, ss. 501-503. “The State of the Worlds Children 2014”, Ocak 2014, http://www.unicef.org/sowc2014/numbers/documents/ english/SOWC2014_In%20Numbers_28%20Jan.pdf. 8 “Facts and Statistics”, Orphan Hope International, http:// www.orphanhopeintl.org/facts-statistics/. 9 “My Orphan”, Muslim Global Relief, http://www. muslimglobalrelief.org/my-orphan.aspx. 10 “The Sponsored Child”, SOS Children’s Villages, http:// www.soschildrensvillages.org.uk/sponsor-a-child/life-in-achildrens-village. 11 “Orphan Challenge”, http://www.openthe414window. com/challenges-orphan.asp. 12 Bu tablo UNICEF’in 2014 raporundan yola çıkılarak hazırlanmıştır, bk. “The State of the Worlds Children 2014”, Ocak 2014, http://www.unicef.org/sowc2014/ 13 A.g.e. Murat Kavakdan, Muhammed Yorgancıoğlu, Zeliha Sağlam, Ümmühan Özkan, “İHH Suriye Saha Raporu”, Mayıs 2014. “Child recruitment, child labour, discrimination and loneliness -the crisis of Syria’s refugee children”, 29 Kasım 2013, http://www.unhcr.org/-e6.html. 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