- Tears and smiles as 318 youngsters set off on flights from Port-au-Prince
These are the heart-warming pictures that show Haitian children being granted a new chance to make the most of their lives.
For these 318 youngsters are the lucky ones who will not be spending Christmas in their crisis-hit home country, but getting to know their new adopted families... in France.
The first two flights left Port-au-Prince, the Haiti capital, for Paris yesterday, after French Foreign Minister Michele Alliot-Marie sanctioned the adoptions on Saturday.
Kiss of life: A Haitian child smiles as he is kissed by his new adoptive mother
New hope: This little girl is one of 318 who have been adopted by French families
The Caribbean county is still reeling from the effects of an earthquake that killed 230,000 people almost a year ago and displaced over a million more.
On January 12, this year the earthquake struck and proved to be the sixth most deadly in history.
It measured 7 on the moment magnitude scale, which was developed in the 1970s to succeed the 1930s-era Richter magnitude scale.
Deadly: It is estimated that some million people were displaced by the quake
Experts estimated that 250,000 residences and 30,000 commercial buildings had collapsed or were severely damaged.
Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas, has been struggling to reconstruct buildings since the natural disaster struck almost 12 months ago – and Haitians are now suffering a cholera epidemic and there is political upheaval.
So for these fortunate children, who have suffered so much heartache and pain, this is the most fantastic Christmas present they could have wished for... beyond their wildest dreams.
Excited: The young Haitian children, who have suffered so much in their crisis-hit country, will be spending Christmas getting to know their new family in France
Escape: The Haitian children leave behind their homeland which has been devastated after last January's earthquake which killed 230,000 and displaced a million more
Warmth: The French families cradle their new children with love and affection
Now handed the opportunity to flourish in France, the youngsters boarded the plane to Europe with apprehension - excitement of the new adventure, mixed with the fear of the unknown and missing the life they have known up to now.
Adopting Haitian children has been a highly sensitive subject recently, with the U.S. government allowing some American families to provide new homes.
But Paul Waggoner, a U.S. relief worker, is being held after allegedly kidnapped a Haitian man's critically ill 15-month old son from a hospital.
Motherly love: A women looks lovingly at her new baby, who has been offered new chance of a fulfilling life in France
Apprehension: The new parents tried to reassure their adopted children as they boarded the planes to France
A number of politicians and celebrities have visited Haiti, in an attempt to raise awareness of the dire situation.
Earlier this month the 46-year-old former governor of Alaska and ex-vice presidential candidate, Sarah Palin, visited Haiti with her husband, Todd, and her daughter, Bristol.
Mrs Palin said at a short press conference outside a Samaritan’s Purse warehouse at a barren town about seven miles north of capital Port-au-Prince: ‘I do urge Americans not to forget Haiti. Get out of your comfort zone and volunteer to help.
New destination: A Haitian girl looks out of the aeroplane window and wonders what her new life in France will bring
Hope: Mothers shower their new children with gifts to make them less scared of their new adventure
‘I know that there's been some discussion of U.S. aid perhaps being lifted from this area. There were such ravaged conditions and environmental aspects of this country before the earthquake.'
But still the aid workers and charities are crying out for more funding, as the rebuilding of the county is taking longer, and is more difficult, than people expected.
A cholera outbreak earlier this year in Port-au-Prince was a further set-back, as the fatal disease threatened to reach the makeshift shantytowns around the capital.
Appeal: After the disaster struck last year millions of pounds flooded in from all over the work, but there is still so much redevelopment to do
Help: Many celebrities have visited the crisis-hit Caribbean country, including Sarah Palin, who visited Port-au-Prince's cholera camps earlier in December
The political landscape is similarly rocky and candidate René Préval last week asked Organization of American States (OAS) to resolve the crisis following the publication of preliminary results of disputed elections of 28 November.
The support of the OAS had been conditioned by the postponement of the publication of final results of the first round, which was formally accepted on Monday by the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP).
This support is reflected in two new missions, the first mission will be responsible for technical support verification of minutes and the recount, while the second will provide legal technical assistance in the litigation stage of the dispute process.
Rebuilding: The capital, Port-au-Prince, was badly affected by the earthquake last year but efforts to rebuild the city have been going slowly
Hurt: Some 230,000 Haitians were killed in the earthquake, which measured 7 on the moment magnitude scale
The technical mission of the OAS arrived at the weekend and 'started its work' on Monday, while other specialists are expected this week.
Albert Ramdin, Assistant Secretary General of the OAS said: 'We must first consider what the scope of the mission, what the experts are going to make and until where the process of verification of the results of the first round of the presidential elections of November 28th will go.'
Meanwhile a British charity has called for greater investment in Haiti's education system a year after the devastating earthquake which destroyed more than 80 per cent of the country's schools.
Chaos: Men try to salvage what they can from the wreckage that the earthquake left
SOS Children's Villages UK said that reforming education was essential for the rebuilding of the country and its future development.
As well as widespread school collapse, and the deaths of more than 1,300 teachers and 38,000 pupils, the earthquake on January 12 destroyed the Ministry of Education, resulting in many school records being lost.
Andrew Cates, chief executive officer of SOS Children (whose website can be found here), said: 'In many areas, the earthquake has only made worse what was already in tatters.
Survival: After the horrific fall-out from the earthquake which struck on January 12, there is new hope for some of Haiti's children
'That is certainly true of education for example, which has been neglected for many years. Today, three million children are without any form of education.'
The charity, which offers new homes to orphaned and abandoned children, has two children's villages in Haiti.
Through the existing SOS School in their Santo Village in Port-au-Prince, and temporary tent schools on site, the charity was able to increase student numbers from 500 to 900.
Head teacher Charles Myrtil said: 'Demand is very high, in the district of Santo alone more than 100 schools were damaged.'
Fellow teacher Wisca Duverger said: 'In Haiti we've got a long way to go, many children can't go to school at all...that has to change. The children are our future, and without them our country has no hope.'
