AMERICA/HAITI - After the hurricane the risk of exploitation and abuse against women and children increase

Tuesday, 25 October 2016 natural catastrophe  

Benjamen Benson

Port au Prince (Agenzia Fides) - Women and children in Haiti are at high risk of sexual exploitation and trafficking as a result of the hurricane. According to humanitarian agencies, since October 4, thousands of women and children have been forced to migrate to cities and in the capital Port-au-Prince, in search of food and shelter. About a million and a half have lost their homes and their livelihoods.
Currently there are 800,000 people in need of urgent aid across the Country. The children of the poorest families are the ones who run the greatest risk of being exploited. Child labor in Haiti was a problem even before the hurricane. According to a report of 2015 of the Institute for Labour and Social Research (FAFO), about 207 thousand children were forced to housework. To try to stop child trafficking, the charitable organization World Vision aims to establish 30 centers to provide them with psychological support and protect those who are separated from their families. UNICEF estimates that 125,000 children need to be protected from violence, exploitation and abuse. The reconstruction of destroyed schools and reuniting children with their families are the key to preventing the phenomenon. About 175 thousand people, displaced due to floods and landslides, live in more than 200 temporary shelters where women and girls are at risk of sexual violence. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 25/10/2016)


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