East Africa

East Africa is a region that has seen significant human trafficking activity, particularly in the trafficking of women and children for sex and labor exploitation. Many trafficking victims in the region are from rural areas and are lured into exploitation with promises of employment or education opportunities. Trafficking networks in the region are often highly organized and can involve multiple countries, making it difficult to investigate and prosecute traffickers. Organizations such as the United Nations and the African Union have implemented policies and initiatives to combat trafficking in the region, including providing funding for victim support services and implementing measures to prevent trafficking.

 

Human trafficker arrests show international co-operation is the way to tackle smuggling
|

Human trafficker arrests show international co-operation is the way to tackle smuggling

It is common for wars to alternate between periods of relative calm and high intensity. This month, it seems as though the war against people smuggling in the Mediterranean is experiencing the latter. A series of unconnected raids and arrests, from Sudan to Bulgaria to the UK, have hit trafficking networks hard. An operation last…

South Sudan authorities urged to come on board and tackle human trafficking – SABC News
|

South Sudan authorities urged to come on board and tackle human trafficking – SABC News

There are growing calls for South Sudan authorities to come on board and tackle human trafficking. It’s a big concern for the East African nation, recently Kenyan President William Ruto warned about unfolding human rights abuses in Juba. Meanwhile, the United Nations (UN) further called on the international community to support the peace process as…

Presidents Samia, Ruto pledge to tackle human trafficking – The East African
|

Presidents Samia, Ruto pledge to tackle human trafficking – The East African

By VALERIE KOGA By APOLINARI TAIRO Kenya and Tanzania have agreed to strengthen border security through cooperation to weed out transboundary crime, including human and drug trafficking, terrorism and poaching. Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu and Kenya’s President William Ruto made the announcement at a press briefing in Dar es Salaam on Monday following bilateral talks. Read: Human trade…

Kenya issues new warning on jobs scams, human trafficking cartels – The East African
|

Kenya issues new warning on jobs scams, human trafficking cartels – The East African

By VALERIE KOGA Kenyan authorities have yet again cautioned citizens against falling victim to job scams after it emerged that rogue agents are luring people with the promise of jobs in southeast Asia then end up trafficking them. A statement by the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs made public on Friday says that the…

In Myanmar, human trafficking hub forces Filipinos into crypto scam
|

In Myanmar, human trafficking hub forces Filipinos into crypto scam

MANILA, Philippines – Twelve Filipinos were able to flee Myanmar’s Shwe Kokko Special Economic Zone or Yatai New City after being allegedly forced to engage in a cryptocurrency scam by Chinese mafia. The incident revealed by Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday, November 22, is one of many human trafficking incidents reported in the economic hub….

US couple face the death penalty in Uganda as they are hit with new child trafficking charge
| |

US couple face the death penalty in Uganda as they are hit with new child trafficking charge

Aid workers ‘tortured their HIV+ foster son, 10, by keeping him naked and feeding him only cold food’ American’s Nicholas Spencer and his wife Mackenzie Leigh Mathias Spencer are accused of torturing their foster child in Uganda The couple was hit with a new trafficking charge that carries the death penalty  US Embassy in Kampala said it…

Successful repatriation of 31 victims of Human Trafficking
| | |

Successful repatriation of 31 victims of Human Trafficking

“We were expected to work for long hours. If you showed signs of weakness, they would threaten that they would give you up for organ harvesting”   …. recalled a survivor as she shared her experience with HAART Kenya Nairobi, on 31st of August, 2022 HAART received a call for help via social media and…

Let us unite to end all forms of exploitation against children – The East African
|

Let us unite to end all forms of exploitation against children – The East African

Each year, the world unites to commemorate the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence. This international campaign kicks off on November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs through December 10, the Human Rights Day. This year, Terre des Hommes Netherlands (TdH NL) is shining a spotlight on…

Family flees to U.S. after escaping human traffickers; Teen loses kidney, left paralyzed
|

Family flees to U.S. after escaping human traffickers; Teen loses kidney, left paralyzed

A teenager left permanently disabled after surviving an attack by human traffickers now lives at the Montgomery County Stillwater Center in Dayton, according to the Public Information Officer (PIO) with Montgomery County Job Center. Surur Ali was only seven years old when his family was kidnapped attempting to flee northeast Africa, the PIO said in…

Ending the Silence on Child Sexual Exploitation: A Podcast Episode on She Leads
|

Ending the Silence on Child Sexual Exploitation: A Podcast Episode on She Leads

In our latest podcast episode we cover She Leads, a programme dedicated to amplifying the voices of girls and young women across Africa and the Middle East. In our new podcast episode on a joint ECPAT, Plan International Netherlands, Defence for Children – ECPAT the Netherlands (DCI-ECPAT), African Women’s Development and Communication Network (FEMNET), and…