LYON, France – An INTERPOL Incident Response Team (IRT) has flown to Pakistan to help authorities assess the situation and to determine areas where the organization can offer its support following the deadly 8 October earthquake.

Of particular concern are opportunistic individuals who may try to kidnap children whose parents are dead or missing for illegal adoption, sexual abuse or other forms of exploitation. Multiple claims to babies or small children are also common following such large-scale disasters.

The IRT is expected to assist Pakistani authorities with the development of procedures for protecting children and reuniting families. The IRT may also recommend the deployment of disaster victim identification teams or forensic experts from the INTERPOL General Secretariat and member countries to help with the recovery effort.

'Children are the most vulnerable victims in tragedies such as the earthquake,' said Executive Director for Police Services Jean-Michel Louboutin. 'This is why the IRT's focus will be how to best protect them as well as identify other ways in which INTERPOL can help.'

INTERPOL IRTs have been dispatched to the sites of numerous terrorist attacks and natural disasters in recent years, including to Southeast Asia after the devastating tsunami in December 2004 and, most recently, to Bangladesh and Bali, Indonesia, following terrorist attacks.