IFRCSebastian is only five months old and is too young to understand that he doesn't have a mother since the earthquake struck Haiti almost two weeks ago.
Jeunesse Cantave, his aunt, said: ”When the earth shook, Sebastian, his mother and his grandmother were at home. They ran for their lives, the grandmother carrying the infant, but they fell. The grandmother and the baby made it outside but Sebastian's mother was buried by the collapsing building.”
Sebastian will now be raised by his aunt, who already has six children of her own. "It is difficult, but of course we are taking him in. If I had died, then my sister would have taken care of my children," Jeunesse says.
Uncertain future
While many children have lost their parents and face an uncertain future, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement advises against initiating non-family adoptions at this point.
"Experience has shown that most separated children have parents or other family members willing and able to care for them," said a Red Cross spokesperson. "Reuniting the children with their families has to be the first priority. Long-term care arrangements, including adoption, should not be made during the emergency phase."
Jeunesse took Sebastian to the German Red Cross basic health care unit. Aside from severe diarrhoea and dehydration, the little boy is healthy – but this is the first full medical examination he's ever had.
Especially vulnerable
IFRCGerman Red Cross doctor Friðbjorn Sigurðsson, who treated him, said: "Diarrhoea is very typical for children after an earthquake, and has to be treated quickly. People are living on the street, their homes have been destroyed. The streets are full of debris and the water is polluted. Children get sick very quickly in this environment and infants are especially vulnerable."
Sebastian received a solution of oral rehydration salts which will help his body to keep the fluids inside so that he can recover. If left untreated, diarrhoea can be deadly for children.
The British Red Cross emergency hygiene team is currently supporting the operation in Port-au-Prince. They are able to set up toilets for up to 20,000 people, as well as providing basic hygiene education. To support the deployment of the team and their specialist equipment, GlaxoSmithKline made a donation of £250,000.
The Red Cross has treated more than 2,800 people in its field hospitals and mobile clinics since the start of the disaster response operation. In addition, Haitian Red Cross volunteers have helped many more at first aid posts around the country.
Find out more about how what we are doing in Haiti
In the event that we raise more money than can be reasonably and efficiently spent, any surplus funds will be used to help us prepare for and respond to other humanitarian disasters either overseas or here in the UK.