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Conflict and COVID Trigger Upsurge in Mali Child Trafficking

Lisa Schlein

   GENEVA - A [1]U.N. refugee agency report issued earlier this month
   finds thousands of children in Mali are being exploited and abused by
   criminal or armed groups, tribal chiefs and state authorities for
   profit and personal gain.

   The report presents a horrific picture of unscrupulous people feeding
   off the misery of the most vulnerable members of society to enrich
   themselves. The U.N. refugee agency reports conflict, COVID-19 and
   worsening socio-economic conditions have led to an upsurge in
   child-trafficking in Mali.

   It says armed groups are forcibly recruiting children to fight their
   wars. UNHCR spokeswoman, Shabia Mantoo, tells VOA that armed groups are
   trafficking children to work in gold mines and using the profits from
   their labor to fuel the arms trade and perpetuate their violent
   exploits.

   "Humanitarian assessments have found children working across mines in a
   country where they are exposed to some of the worst forms of abuses,
   whether that is physical, sexual, psychological abuse of child labor,
   economic exploitation," Mantoo said. "And we are also seeing girls
   being married off early. Reports are really worrying of the risks of
   children being married off early to help their families because people
   just cannot cope."

References

   1. https://www.unhcr.org/en-us/news/press/2020/12/5fc62ead4/child-trafficking-mali-increasing-conflict-covid-19.html

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