Police data shows surge in human trafficking

Date of incident: 26/09/2016

Threat Category: Crime

According to data released by the Nepal Police Headquarters, human trafficking surged by 150 percent from mid-July to mid-August this year compared with the same period in 2015. One official said that the increase was due to the massive earthquake in April 2015 that killed over 9,000 people and left more than 22,000 people homeless. The disaster had left many women and children vulnerable to trafficking, with people being trafficked to India, the Middle East, elsewhere in Asia, the US, and Sub-Saharan Africa to construction, mines, factories, domestic work, begging, prostitution, and the adult entertainment industry. Activists also said that the real number of trafficked people was likely higher due to the difficulty in tracking missing people and collecting data.

I am so pleased that as a result of my trip to Nepal we have identified 4 children orphaned by the earthquake. We have sent support to ensure they can go to school, and made sure they are safe. But reading this report I only wish we could have done more. It is wrong that so many vulnerable children are now being abused by people with no regard for human life.

Our vision is to be there for children when they are orphaned through a sudden disaster, natural or manmade. We will do all we can to ensure they are identified, supported and connected to a safe and loving care structure. These children will become our responsibility, they will become part of the Operation Orphan family. For some of them we will provide a safe place to be while their parents are found. For others we may need to work with the local social services and other trusted organisations to find safe, alternative care.

We have taken another step towards implementing this dream. Last week we ran our first selection course for an International Crisis Response Team. I am pleased to announce that Russell, Suze and Jess passed the course and are now official members of the team (see photo above).

A huge thank you to Alex (below, second left) who is a serving fireman and member of the UK International Search and Rescue team (UK ISAR). He helped me develop and run the selection course. I am so grateful for his input. His involvement means that the quality of individuals who pass our selection course meet a standard that is similar to those who deploy with UK ISAR.

The next phase is for us to prepare for deployment which will involve raising funds to ensure we have the right equipment, resources, training and relief materials to fulfil the mission. This is to IDENTIFY, MAKE SAFE and KEEP SAFE children orphaned by the disaster.

If you would like to give towards empowering our International Crisis Response Team please click the link below.

Thank you

Brad