This article from Hindustan Times highlights the increased rates of, and vulnerability to, trafficking that accompany a natural disaster, such as the earthquake in Nepal. “Such calamities often act as triggers for trafficking,” says the author. In particular, children who are orphaned due to natural disaster are at increased risk of trafficking, as well as those families already living in severe poverty, according to the article. Women and children in general are most vulnerable to labour trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation following a disaster. The Street Children Trust, an NGO working in West Bengal’s Darjeeling and surrounding areas, has therefore decided to visit areas in Nepal affected by the earthquake to monitor trafficking routes.
