ARAFAT, 10 January 2006 — For the first time, the Saudi Scouts Society is using a website to highlight missing children during the Haj season. The new web service displays pictures and full details of missing children, according to Naser Al-Khulaifi, an official at the scout society in Arafat.
In Arafat 16 children have been found and six of that number have already been reunited with their families. When a lost child is brought to the center by the scouts, a photograph is taken and as much information as possible is obtained from him or her. The photograph and the information are then immediately posted on the website.
All government departments monitor the site continuously during Haj in order to update the scouts with the latest reports, Al-Khulaifi said.
The scout offices are also linked with a wireless communication system for the first time this year. This also saves time and effort in guiding lost pilgrims and transferring information between the scout centers in the holy sites, he explained.
The number of lost children has always been about the same.
“Every year the number ranges from 120 to 150 lost children,” he said, noting that the number may of course increase during catastrophes or major incidents.
Al-Khulaifi said that there was a specialized center for children, equipped with beds, food and toys. If the children’s relatives do not appear in Arafat, they are taken to Muzdalifah and Mina.
“We treat every child with special care and provide them with physical and mental care until they are re-united with their parents,” Al-Khulaifi explained.
He pointed out that this year there are 700 boy scouts in Arafat to guide and serve the pilgrims in many different ways.
