A/HRC/17/42 32. Credible NGOs in Haiti and the Dominican Republic5 have also claimed that adults and children are trafficked to the Dominican Republic. The Independent Expert intends to investigate the subject on his next mission. Accounts, eyewitness reports and photos bear witness to the existence of the phenomenon, but its extent deserves to be documented more fully. 33. Children continue to face the threat of abduction, illegal adoption or sexual violence. A number of unaccompanied children remain in the camps, while others have been taken in by other families under circumstances that encourage the practice of pressing them into domestic service, a problem that predates the humanitarian crisis and has been amply documented by experts and specialist organizations. The Independent Expert recommends that action be taken to implement the recommendations that he made in previous reports, in the context of efforts to combat the placement of children in domestic service, together with the recommendations contained in the report6 by the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery. D. Persons with disabilities 34. Following the earthquake of 12 January 2010, the Independent Expert turned his attention to the situation of persons with disabilities. In the course of his missions, he has visited camps that are accessible to persons with disabilities and met several representatives of NGOs7 actively involved in this area in Haiti, as well as the Secretary of State for the Integration of Persons with Disabilities. 35. In the wake of the earthquake, more than 4,000 severely injured people who had to undergo emergency operations and amputations were left with disabilities or were fitted with artificial limbs. More than one year on from the earthquake, specialized NGOs estimate that around 100 people will have to undergo an operation or an additional examination in order to have permanent artificial limbs fitted. Moreover, more than 100 people with spinal cord injuries who are in or are about to return to Haiti will require constant, specialized care. Isolated and often marginalized, they will need rehabilitative care and assistance and, in some cases, will have to be referred to medical centres that are equipped to assess and supply their needs in terms of technical aids and essential items. Although some humanitarian associations have done remarkable work, some of these people with spinal cord injuries could die because of a lack of proper care. 36. In the framework of reconstruction, measures ought to be taken to ensure that buildings, especially those open to the public, are made accessible to persons with disabilities. At meetings with donors, the Independent Expert was sometimes left with the impression that this concern was not necessarily considered a priority; yet, the need to rebuild Port-au-Prince presents a unique opportunity to demonstrate that the discrimination suffered by persons with disabilities is a thing of the past. 5 6 7 8 Support Group for Repatriated Persons and Refugees (GARR) and Solidarité Fwontalye in Haiti; Solidaridad Fronteriza and the Jesuit Service for Refugees and Migrants (SJRM) in the Dominican Republic. A/HRC/12/21/Add.1. Such as Handicap International in Port-au-Prince and the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative in Fond Parisien. GE.11-12426

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