IOM, Save The Children and UNICEF Call for Concerted Efforts To Combat Child Trafficking in East and Horn of Africa
Nairobi, Kenya – On World Day Against Trafficking in Persons (30 July 2024) with the theme ‘Leave No Child Behind in the Fight Against Human Trafficking’’, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Save The Children (SC) and the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) are highlighting the plight of boys and girls who are trafficked within their countries, in the region and beyond.
Globally, one (1) in three (3) identified victims of trafficking is a child. UNODC Global Report on Trafficking in Persons shows an 11 per cent decrease in the number of victims of trafficking detected at the global level, but an increase in the percentage of child survivors, from 28 per cent in 2014 to 35 per cent in 2021. The East and Horn of Africa region faces significant challenges related to human trafficking, with children being particularly vulnerable. Poverty, conflict, and the effects of climate change continue to heighten the vulnerability of men, women, boys and girls to human trafficking. The scale of human trafficking globally, regionally and at country level remains difficult to establish and as such available data grossly underestimate the problem. According to data from the Counter-Trafficking Data Collaborative from 2002-2022, in the East and Horn of Africa region children make up 12 per cent of persons trafficked from the region. Between 2018-2022, IOM in the region assisted over 4,000 survivors of trafficking, 12 per cent of whom were children. The majority of child survivors are trafficked within and outside the region largely for purposes of; forced labour in agricultural and mining sectors; domestic servitude; sexual exploitation in the hospitality industry and by smugglers and traffickers. Another worrying trend is the trafficking of children with disabilities for purposes of forced begging. Other forms of trafficking such as trafficking for forced criminal activities, trafficking for ransom and trafficking for organ removal are reportedly present but are very challenging to identify. The type of trafficking that children are subjected to is highly gendered with girls being disproportionately affected and enduring lifelong effects of gender inequality and gender-based violence.
Children have limited awareness and capacity to identify trafficking situations; how to avoid falling into the trap of traffickers and what to do to protect themselves when faced with such situations. IOM, SC and UNICEF call for increased engagement with the broader community and with children as active agents not only to raise awareness but also to establish and strengthen community-based protection mechanisms. Equally, the partners call for increased efforts to identify, investigate and prosecute perpetrators and enhance monitoring mechanisms in poorly regulated sectors where child trafficking is prevalent. IOM, SC and UNICEF recognize ongoing efforts by various stakeholders and are working closely with governments and non-governmental entities to among others, advance policies, programming and advocacy efforts at national and regional levels to strengthen the protection of children.
From global to continental level, normative frameworks such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), the Africa Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (1990), the AU Policy Document on Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants in Africa and the 2006 Ouagadougou Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings, Especially Women and Children, members states have been unequivocal in providing comprehensive guidance in addressing human trafficking and developing comprehensive counter trafficking strategies, that are based on prevention, protection, prosecution and partnership.
“Child trafficking is both a crime and a gross violation of human rights. Governments and non-governmental stakeholders have a duty to ensure that all children victims of trafficking regardless of their status have timely access to basic needs as well as comprehensive and specialized protection services which are tailored to respond to their specific needs, risks and vulnerabilities. By focusing on Prevention, Protection and Reintegration, IOM seeks to create a safer environment for children and reduce the incidence of child trafficking” said IOM Regional Director for East and Horn of Africa, Rana Jaber.
“While SC recognizes that combating child trafficking requires a holistic approach—integrating prevention, protection, prosecution, and partnership—priority must be given to addressing pre-existing risk factors that heighten children's vulnerability to trafficking and to enhancing the protective ecosystem around them. It is crucial to remember that child trafficking victims are, above all, victims and should never be treated as criminals regardless of their status. Duty bearers must develop and strengthen child-sensitive anti-trafficking laws and policies, with a strong focus on victim identification, protection, and rehabilitation” said SC Regional Director for the East and Southern Africa Region, Yvonne Arunga.
"In the final push to achieve SDG (Sustainable Development Goal) 16.2, to protect children from all forms of abuse, exploitation, trafficking and violence, UNICEF calls for enhancing regional protection and justice mechanisms at national and sub national levels in collaboration with governments and partners. UNICEF calls on strengthening child protection systems in origin, transit, and destination countries, ensuring inclusivity for all migrant children. UNICEF will continue through its advocacy and programs in support of Africa’s development agendas, to promote policies to end child trafficking and support cross-sectoral and cross-border programs that uphold child rights, safety, gender equity, survivor protection, and access to justice for all children," stated UNICEF Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa, Etleva Kadilli.
IOM, Save The Children and UNICEF Call for Concerted Efforts To Combat Child Trafficking in East and Horn of Africa
Nairobi, Kenya – On World Day Against Trafficking in Persons (30 July 2024) with the theme ‘Leave No Child Behind in the Fight Against Human Trafficking’’, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Save The Children (SC) and the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) are highlighting the plight of boys and girls who are trafficked within their countries, in the region and beyond.
Globally, one (1) in three (3) identified victims of trafficking is a child. UNODC Global Report on Trafficking in Persons shows an 11 per cent decrease in the number of victims of trafficking detected at the global level, but an increase in the percentage of child survivors, from 28 per cent in 2014 to 35 per cent in 2021. The East and Horn of Africa region faces significant challenges related to human trafficking, with children being particularly vulnerable. Poverty, conflict, and the effects of climate change continue to heighten the vulnerability of men, women, boys and girls to human trafficking. The scale of human trafficking globally, regionally and at country level remains difficult to establish and as such available data grossly underestimate the problem. According to data from the Counter-Trafficking Data Collaborative from 2002-2022, in the East and Horn of Africa region children make up 12 per cent of persons trafficked from the region. Between 2018-2022, IOM in the region assisted over 4,000 survivors of trafficking, 12 per cent of whom were children. The majority of child survivors are trafficked within and outside the region largely for purposes of; forced labour in agricultural and mining sectors; domestic servitude; sexual exploitation in the hospitality industry and by smugglers and traffickers. Another worrying trend is the trafficking of children with disabilities for purposes of forced begging. Other forms of trafficking such as trafficking for forced criminal activities, trafficking for ransom and trafficking for organ removal are reportedly present but are very challenging to identify. The type of trafficking that children are subjected to is highly gendered with girls being disproportionately affected and enduring lifelong effects of gender inequality and gender-based violence.
Children have limited awareness and capacity to identify trafficking situations; how to avoid falling into the trap of traffickers and what to do to protect themselves when faced with such situations. IOM, SC and UNICEF call for increased engagement with the broader community and with children as active agents not only to raise awareness but also to establish and strengthen community-based protection mechanisms. Equally, the partners call for increased efforts to identify, investigate and prosecute perpetrators and enhance monitoring mechanisms in poorly regulated sectors where child trafficking is prevalent. IOM, SC and UNICEF recognize ongoing efforts by various stakeholders and are working closely with governments and non-governmental entities to among others, advance policies, programming and advocacy efforts at national and regional levels to strengthen the protection of children.
From global to continental level, normative frameworks such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), the Africa Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (1990), the AU Policy Document on Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants in Africa and the 2006 Ouagadougou Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings, Especially Women and Children, members states have been unequivocal in providing comprehensive guidance in addressing human trafficking and developing comprehensive counter trafficking strategies, that are based on prevention, protection, prosecution and partnership.
“Child trafficking is both a crime and a gross violation of human rights. Governments and non-governmental stakeholders have a duty to ensure that all children victims of trafficking regardless of their status have timely access to basic needs as well as comprehensive and specialized protection services which are tailored to respond to their specific needs, risks and vulnerabilities. By focusing on Prevention, Protection and Reintegration, IOM seeks to create a safer environment for children and reduce the incidence of child trafficking” said IOM Regional Director for East and Horn of Africa, Rana Jaber.
“While SC recognizes that combating child trafficking requires a holistic approach—integrating prevention, protection, prosecution, and partnership—priority must be given to addressing pre-existing risk factors that heighten children's vulnerability to trafficking and to enhancing the protective ecosystem around them. It is crucial to remember that child trafficking victims are, above all, victims and should never be treated as criminals regardless of their status. Duty bearers must develop and strengthen child-sensitive anti-trafficking laws and policies, with a strong focus on victim identification, protection, and rehabilitation” said SC Regional Director for the East and Southern Africa Region, Yvonne Arunga.
"In the final push to achieve SDG (Sustainable Development Goal) 16.2, to protect children from all forms of abuse, exploitation, trafficking and violence, UNICEF calls for enhancing regional protection and justice mechanisms at national and sub national levels in collaboration with governments and partners. UNICEF calls on strengthening child protection systems in origin, transit, and destination countries, ensuring inclusivity for all migrant children. UNICEF will continue through its advocacy and programs in support of Africa’s development agendas, to promote policies to end child trafficking and support cross-sectoral and cross-border programs that uphold child rights, safety, gender equity, survivor protection, and access to justice for all children," stated UNICEF Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa, Etleva Kadilli.
IOM, Save The Children and UNICEF Call for Concerted Efforts To Combat Child Trafficking in East and Horn of Africa
IOM, Save The Children and UNICEF Call for Concerted Efforts To Combat Child Trafficking in East and Horn of Africa
Nairobi, Kenya – On World Day Against Trafficking in Persons (30 July 2024) with the theme ‘Leave No Child Behind in the Fight Against Human Trafficking’’, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Save The Children (SC) and the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) are highlighting the plight of boys and girls who are trafficked within their countries, in the region and beyond.
Globally, one (1) in three (3) identified victims of trafficking is a child. UNODC Global Report on Trafficking in Persons shows an 11 per cent decrease in the number of victims of trafficking detected at the global level, but an increase in the percentage of child survivors, from 28 per cent in 2014 to 35 per cent in 2021. The East and Horn of Africa region faces significant challenges related to human trafficking, with children being particularly vulnerable. Poverty, conflict, and the effects of climate change continue to heighten the vulnerability of men, women, boys and girls to human trafficking. The scale of human trafficking globally, regionally and at country level remains difficult to establish and as such available data grossly underestimate the problem. According to data from the Counter-Trafficking Data Collaborative from 2002-2022, in the East and Horn of Africa region children make up 12 per cent of persons trafficked from the region. Between 2018-2022, IOM in the region assisted over 4,000 survivors of trafficking, 12 per cent of whom were children. The majority of child survivors are trafficked within and outside the region largely for purposes of; forced labour in agricultural and mining sectors; domestic servitude; sexual exploitation in the hospitality industry and by smugglers and traffickers. Another worrying trend is the trafficking of children with disabilities for purposes of forced begging. Other forms of trafficking such as trafficking for forced criminal activities, trafficking for ransom and trafficking for organ removal are reportedly present but are very challenging to identify. The type of trafficking that children are subjected to is highly gendered with girls being disproportionately affected and enduring lifelong effects of gender inequality and gender-based violence.
Children have limited awareness and capacity to identify trafficking situations; how to avoid falling into the trap of traffickers and what to do to protect themselves when faced with such situations. IOM, SC and UNICEF call for increased engagement with the broader community and with children as active agents not only to raise awareness but also to establish and strengthen community-based protection mechanisms. Equally, the partners call for increased efforts to identify, investigate and prosecute perpetrators and enhance monitoring mechanisms in poorly regulated sectors where child trafficking is prevalent. IOM, SC and UNICEF recognize ongoing efforts by various stakeholders and are working closely with governments and non-governmental entities to among others, advance policies, programming and advocacy efforts at national and regional levels to strengthen the protection of children.
From global to continental level, normative frameworks such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), the Africa Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (1990), the AU Policy Document on Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants in Africa and the 2006 Ouagadougou Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings, Especially Women and Children, members states have been unequivocal in providing comprehensive guidance in addressing human trafficking and developing comprehensive counter trafficking strategies, that are based on prevention, protection, prosecution and partnership.
“Child trafficking is both a crime and a gross violation of human rights. Governments and non-governmental stakeholders have a duty to ensure that all children victims of trafficking regardless of their status have timely access to basic needs as well as comprehensive and specialized protection services which are tailored to respond to their specific needs, risks and vulnerabilities. By focusing on Prevention, Protection and Reintegration, IOM seeks to create a safer environment for children and reduce the incidence of child trafficking” said IOM Regional Director for East and Horn of Africa, Rana Jaber.
“While SC recognizes that combating child trafficking requires a holistic approach—integrating prevention, protection, prosecution, and partnership—priority must be given to addressing pre-existing risk factors that heighten children's vulnerability to trafficking and to enhancing the protective ecosystem around them. It is crucial to remember that child trafficking victims are, above all, victims and should never be treated as criminals regardless of their status. Duty bearers must develop and strengthen child-sensitive anti-trafficking laws and policies, with a strong focus on victim identification, protection, and rehabilitation” said SC Regional Director for the East and Southern Africa Region, Yvonne Arunga.
"In the final push to achieve SDG (Sustainable Development Goal) 16.2, to protect children from all forms of abuse, exploitation, trafficking and violence, UNICEF calls for enhancing regional protection and justice mechanisms at national and sub national levels in collaboration with governments and partners. UNICEF calls on strengthening child protection systems in origin, transit, and destination countries, ensuring inclusivity for all migrant children. UNICEF will continue through its advocacy and programs in support of Africa’s development agendas, to promote policies to end child trafficking and support cross-sectoral and cross-border programs that uphold child rights, safety, gender equity, survivor protection, and access to justice for all children," stated UNICEF Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa, Etleva Kadilli.