As Albert Thomas said "The exploitation of children constitutes the evil, the most hideous, the most unbearable to the human heart".
When I think about it, I am uncapable of imaging what drives a person to hurt a child. How can they do it? Although it is impossible for me to understand it, the statistics show that there are lots of people capable of doing it, capable of taking advantage of it, capable of making money with it.
Aproximately 12 million children are trafficked every year around the world. Their destinations are multiple: sexual explotation (vast majority), cheap labour, organ trafficking, illegal adoptions, armed conflict warriors, domestic help.
Here are some data:
- Guatemala: 1,500 babies and children are trafficked every year for adoption by couples in the US and Europe.
- Nepal: 12,000 children a year, are trafficked as sexual slaves and labour.
- Mozambique: girls under 10 years old are sold off, mainly to be forced into prostitution.
- Africa: 80 million children are forced to work.
- Cambodia: around 30,000 children live and work in the streets, most of them are being forced to prostitution. The average price of a child is $150.
- Sierra Leone: thousands of children are kidnapped and used as soldiers.
- Former Soviet Union: more than 100,000 children a year are trafficked. This area is the largest new source of trafficking for prostitution and sex industrie.
The main destinations for these children are: North America, Asia, Middle East and Western Europe. There's demand!
Human trafficking is a very lucrative and growing "business", and it is reaching every country in the world. Even institutions aimed to protect human rights are entering this business. Some believe that even some United Nations cooperators are getting in this business.
How can we stop this? Is there any way we can keep children from suffering?
I want to think there is a way and we'll find it, though I'm not really sure.
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