KATHMANDU, July 30: The World Day against Trafficking in Persons is being observed today by organizing various programs. 

A street drama will be performed Tuesday evening at Patan Durbar Square in Lalitpur to mark the day. Millions of victims fall into the hands of traffickers, lured by fake promises and deceit.

Data received from various sources suggest that trafficking happens all around us as the share of persons trafficked within their own country has doubled in recent years to 58 percent of all detected victims, according to the 2018 UNODC Global Report on Trafficking in Persons.

According to data made public by the Women and Children Service Directorate (WCSD) of the Nepal Police, 227 cases related to human trafficking were recorded in Fiscal Year 2016/17 and 305 in the fiscal year 2017/18 at the WCSD.

According to a report released by Sastra Sima Bal (SSB or Border Security Force) of India, the number of Nepali girls trafficked into India sharply increased over the past 5 years.

According to the report, the girls were forced into prostitution and pushed into domestic help or other forms of exploitation labor.

According to the SSB Report, the number of trafficking cases, traffickers arrested and victims rescued has dramatically increased over the years. The number of trafficking cases increased from 8 in 2012 to 147 in 2017. Similarly, the number of trafficked victims rescued increased from only 72 in 2012 to 336 in 2015, 501 in 2016 and 607 in 2017. (Source: NHRC)

In addition to the government agencies and the activists, the donor countries have also expressed concern over the growing trend of human trafficking in Nepal in recent years.

In June this year, the development agencies of the United States and the United Kingdom had announced a partnership to support the Government of Nepal in reducing human trafficking. It was between the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) to expand USAID’s ongoing Hamro Samman Project to support the Government of Nepal’s efforts to combat human trafficking in 10 districts. (Source: Embassy of United States in Nepal)

The U.S. Government’s 2018 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report had ranked Nepal as a tier 2 country while identifying Nepal as a source, transit and destination country for human trafficking.

While this report estimates that 30,000 Nepali girls and women are commercially exploited for sex each year, the 2018 Global Slavery Index estimates that 171,000 Nepalis are subject to slavery at any given time.

Delivering a statement on the occasion of the World Day against Trafficking in Persons, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said: "Let us reaffirm our commitment to stop criminals from ruthlessly exploiting people for profit and to help victims rebuild their lives."

(With inputs from agencies)

 
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