Natural disasters: Natural disasters like earthquakes, hurricanes, and floods cause widespread damage to infrastructure, displacing large populations. These events often overwhelm local and national governments, delaying recovery efforts and leaving vulnerable individuals without basic services such as housing, healthcare, and protection. In the immediate aftermath, traffickers exploit the chaos, targeting people who are displaced, separated from their families, or seeking aid. The longer-term impacts, such as loss of livelihoods and economic instability, also increase vulnerability, as individuals in affected regions may be forced to migrate or seek alternative means of survival, making them easy prey for traffickers.

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• Earthquakes (e.g., Haiti Earthquake in 2010)

• Hurricanes and Typhoons (e.g., Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, 2013)

• Floods (e.g., Pakistan Floods in 2022)

• Wildfires (e.g., Australian Bushfires, 2019-2020)

• Tsunamis (e.g., Indian Ocean Tsunami, 2004)

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Armed Conflicts, Wars & Refugee Crises: Areas affected by war and conflict create ideal conditions for human trafficking. The breakdown of law enforcement, border control, and social services allows traffickers to operate with relative impunity. Armed groups often engage in trafficking directly, using forced labour, child soldiers, or sex trafficking as a method to finance their activities or to terrorise local populations. In addition, the refugee crises that stem from conflicts create large groups of displaced individuals who lack protection and resources. Traffickers target these refugees, offering false promises of safe passage, work, or shelter, only to exploit them. The complexity of these crises makes it difficult for authorities to track and protect victims, especially in regions where human rights violations are rampant.

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Today, there are 35 armed conflicts in Africa, 21 in Asia, 7 in Europe, and 6 in South and Central America. Each one represents countless lives longing for peace.

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Since 9/11 Millions of people living in the war zones have also been displaced by war. The U.S. post-9/11 wars have forcibly displaced at least 38 million people in and from Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, the Philippines, Libya and Syria. This number exceeds the total displaced by every war since 1900, except World War II.

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• Syrian Civil War (since 2011)

• Conflict in Yemen (since 2014)

• War in Ukraine (since 2022)

• Rohingya Crisis in Myanmar (2017)

• South Sudan Civil War (2013-2018)
   

Pandemics and Global Health Crises: The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated how global health crises exacerbate human trafficking. With economies paralysed, millions of people lost their jobs and became vulnerable to exploitation. Border closures and travel restrictions disrupted legal migration and employment pathways, leaving many without options. Traffickers capitalised on the desperation of individuals seeking work or trying to return home, luring them into exploitative situations under the guise of offering help. Additionally, social distancing measures and lockdowns made it more difficult for trafficking victims to access services or escape their situations. Health crises like pandemics also divert government attention and resources away from anti-trafficking efforts, allowing traffickers to act with fewer risks of detection.

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• COVID-19 Pandemic (since 2019)

• Ebola Outbreak (West Africa, 2014-2016)

• HIV/AIDS Epidemic (especially in sub-Saharan Africa)

• Cholera Outbreaks (e.g., in Yemen due to the conflict

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Economic Crises:

Economic downturns severely impact countries with weak or underdeveloped economies, pushing individuals and families into poverty. In these circumstances, traffickers exploit the desperation caused by unemployment and economic instability. They may offer false job opportunities or loans, leading victims into debt bondage or forced labour. Economic crises also disproportionately affect women and children, who are often more vulnerable to trafficking. When governments are unable to provide sufficient social safety nets, traffickers step in, preying on those most affected. In some regions, economic instability has led to an increase in child trafficking, as families in extreme poverty may be coerced into selling their children or unknowingly placing them into exploitative situations.

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• Global Financial Crisis (2008-2009)

• Venezuela’s Economic Collapse (ongoing since 2010s)

• Greek Debt Crisis (2010s

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Environmental Crises: Climate change and environmental degradation are becoming increasingly significant drivers of human trafficking. Environmental disasters such as droughts, rising sea levels, and deforestation displace communities and disrupt traditional livelihoods, especially in rural areas. As people migrate in search of food, water, and employment, they become more susceptible to trafficking. The loss of agricultural jobs due to environmental changes has led to rural-to-urban migration, where many migrants find themselves without legal protections or employment opportunities. Traffickers exploit this gap, offering false promises of work, safety, or migration assistance, only to trap individuals in exploitative conditions. Additionally, environmental crises often disproportionately affect indigenous and marginalised communities, who are already at greater risk of exploitation.

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• Famine and droughts (e.g., Horn of Africa Famine, 2011)

• Desertification (e.g., in the Sahel region of Africa)

• Climate Change-related displacement (e.g., island nations facing rising sea levels)

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