Be aware of human trafficking during UNWTO – UNICEF Expert

Be aware of human trafficking during UNWTO – UNICEF Expert

Livingstone, July 14 2013 ZANIS————UNICEF Child Protection Officer Edwin Mumba says it is disappointing that most Zambians remain ignorant on the dangers and gravity Human Trafficking posses on  society.

And  a representative from Justice and Peace,Sister Lynette Rodrigues,  says there was great demand for commercial sex  nowadays which many vulnerable women were ready to engage in  regardless of the consequences.

Mr. Mumba  has noted with concern that due to poverty and vulnerability of various groups, it was easy for unscrupulous individuals to traffic unsuspecting citizens within and outside Zambia.

He for this reason cautioned Livingstone  residents to be wary  of such individuals ahead of the UNWTO General Assembly to be co-hosted between Zambia and  Zimbabwe.

“  These unscrupulous people would use the UNWTO summit  it as an opportunity to traffic unsuspecting Zambians, ‘ he said.

ZANIS reports that UNICEF Child Protection Officer said this today during a stakeholders workshop on Human Trafficking ahead of the UNWTO General Assembly, organized by the Catholic Diocese of Livingstone.

He said the tourist capital would have an influx of people from different parts of the world during UNWTO General Assembly and as such, precautions had to be taken to protect Zambians, especially children and the youths, from being trafficked.

Mr. Mumba stated that human trafficking was a major challenge for the country as Zambia was a source, transit and destination for human trafficking victims.

“Many of you may not be aware but men, women and children are trafficked to, through and within Zambia,” he said.

He however, commended government for its response to the vice such as formulation of the Anti-Trafficking Act Number 11 of 2008 and the establishment of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Human Trafficking.

Mr. Mumba emphasized the need to prevent human trafficking as it was almost impossible to retrieve people once they were trafficked due to weaknesses in the country’s legal system.

Meanwhile, a representative from Justice and Peace,Sister Lynette Rodrigues,  says there was great demand for commercial sex  nowadays which many vulnerable women were ready to engage in  regardless of the consequences.

“There is great demand for commercial sex and people are ready to supply regardless of the consequences…that is the reality of our world,” she said.

Sister Lynette lack of statistics underplayed the extent of human trafficking in Zambia.

Sr. Rodrigues cited porous borders, poor implementation of laws and the country’s economic status as factors that hindered the fight against human trafficking.