March 18, Kathmandu. The number of women, adolescents and children being trafficked has risen sharply since the Corona epidemic, according to organizations working against trafficking in women and children.

The study of these organizations has shown that the number of crimes such as family quarrels, sexual violence and domestic violence is increasing when the daily income is cut off. The consequences of such crimes are also being seen in human trafficking.


Those working in the field say that the crime of human trafficking will increase when natural disasters and epidemics disrupt people's lives. According to him, human traffickers and brokers become active as it is easy to be tempted in such a difficult situation. After Kovid, the number of those who have been trafficked internally and externally and rescued during the smuggling has increased significantly.

Charimaya Tamang, founder chairperson of Shakti Group, says that the unemployment created by the Corona epidemic has increased the trafficking of women and adolescents. He estimates the number of sales could increase as Corona's influence remains.

Income areas have been lost due to covid. People are looking for opportunities to earn. Maiti Nepal's program manager Ram Sharan Poudel says that the risk of falling into the temptation of criminals increases automatically.

For example, Kalpana of Dhading (name changed) was sold to India in the temptation of employment. While working as a sales girl in a private company in Lalitpur, she became unemployed.

Five days after the lockdown, she walked home with her friends and came to Kathmandu in eight months, but did not get a job. A friend who had worked with him before said that he was going to India to work with his aunt. The fact that he got an attractive salary there also attracted him. After talking to her friend's aunt, she went there too.

The next day after arriving in Delhi, her aunt took them to a clothing store and released them. The next day, when the clothes shop owner engaged in sex work, they found out that they had been sold.

After informing the relatives through messenger, they were rescued and brought to Nepal 24 days later. They have filed a FIR against those 'uncles'.

According to organizations working in the field, women and adolescents have been trafficked to various parts of Nepal and India and Sri Lanka for employment. In the three months since the lockdown, power groups have rescued only 21 people.

The group's founding chairman Tamang says the figures are incomplete as the number of those rescued has been increasing since then. She said that they are still working for the prevention and rescue of human trafficking.

The statistics of trafficked women and children are not complete even in the 41 organizations working against trafficking in women and children. Director Gurung said that it would take time to find out the increase after Kovid.

Benumaya Gurung, executive director of the co-operative group Nepal (ATWIN) against trafficking in women and children, says that the problem of trafficking is spreading like wildfire. She says that this crime will not be controlled unless all government and non-government bodies unite.

An example of this is Babita of Morang (name changed). She became a waiter in a restaurant in Kathmandu and became unemployed after the lockdown. Her problem was getting worse as the lockdown period was getting longer. At the same time, a neighbor said that he needed a delivery girl for his brother's online business in Pokhara.

Online business was flourishing in Lockdown. Even though her salary was not high, Babita agreed to go to Pokhara. He was brought to Pokhara in a vehicle carrying food.

When she reached Pokhara, she drank water and fell asleep. When she woke up, she was in a room. After a while, when the customer came and forced her, she found out that she had been sold. In about three months, an organization and a police team raided and rescued him. She is now under the care of an organization in Kathmandu.

Believing that working in the interest of women working in the field of entertainment and hospitality, Nepal has rescued 13 people who were trafficked, 8 internally and 5 externally. The organization says that all of them were sold due to financial temptation.

Rasna Dhakal, information officer of the organization, says that the number of people who have been trafficked and forced into prostitution has increased due to Corona. "Those who worked in the entertainment and hospitality sector became unemployed during the Coronation period," she says. The number of people forced into sex work has increased. '

Yashoda Banjade, a liaison officer with the National Human Rights Commission's anti-human rights wing, also said that many women, adolescents and girls working in the informal sector and in the entertainment and hospitality sector were trafficked after Kovid. She says, ‘The number of people involved in internal trafficking and external trafficking has increased dramatically. We are working to make it into statistics. 'According to police statistics, the number of people sold is low

While organizations working against human trafficking are saying that the number of people being trafficked has increased dramatically, the police data shows that the situation is normal. As of mid-January of the current fiscal year, only 33 cases of human trafficking have been registered.

Chief of the Human Trafficking Bureau of Nepal Police, SSP Durga Singh, says that the number of people being trafficked for foreign employment has not increased.

Benwamaya Gurung, executive director of Atwin, says that there may be less in the police statistics due to reporting problems. "On the one hand, the structure of the police is not women-friendly," she says.

Charimaya Tamang, the founding chairperson of Shakti Group, says that there is less reporting in the police due to the practice of not filing a complaint for fear that the society will know when they go for legal treatment. "Criminals target vulnerable individuals and communities," she said. "Such victims cannot reach the police without access or fear of perpetrators."