ROME – With global conflicts such as the wars in Gaza and Ukraine continuing to displace millions, women religious working on the frontlines to prevent human trafficking have warned that the risks are increasing, especially to children.

According to Maryknoll Dominican Sister Abby Avelino, International Coordinator of the Talitha Kum anti-trafficking network, the ongoing wars in Ukraine and the Middle East have made things worse, and have led to “increased risks of abuse at various levels.”

Among the most recognized anti-trafficking organizations led by women religious, Talitha Kum has been described as a “network of networks,” composed of over 6,000 members running more than 20 networks in over 90 countries.

“Children who are unaccompanied or separated from their families, including those evacuated from childcare facilities, are particularly vulnerable,” Avelino said, pointing to the Global Slavery Index 2023 report, which states that “orphanage trafficking” defined as the recruitment of children to residential care institutions for profit and exploitation, is increasing in part due to various wars.

Avelino penned a column on the issue of the trafficking of children for Vatican News, the Vatican’s state-run information platform, on the occasion of the July 30 World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, with this year’s theme being, “Leave No Child Behind in the Fight Against Human Trafficking.”

“Children are at the center and call on each of us to protect them and keep them from becoming victims of trafficking,” Avelino said, noting that women and children are often the most vulnerable to exploitation given various cultural, social and economic factors and inequalities.

To this end, she referred to the story of an 11-year-old boy named Karim, who she said is from Lebanon and works with a carpenter under difficult conditions while using heavy and dangerous tools and machinery, earing just $0.55 a week and who is often beaten and locked in a bathroom for hours.

Karim’s story is not unique, Avelino said, noting that similar situations occur especially among those living in extreme poverty.

The International Labor Organization (ILO) reports that there are currently roughly 152 million children between aged 5-17 who are victims of child labor.

Similarly, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Trafficking in Persons Report states that around one in three of the world’s trafficking victims is a child, with victims suffering various forms of violence and exploitation, including forced labor, early and forced marriage, criminality, begging, illegal adoptions, and abuse and sexual exploitation, including online.

Traffickers, she said, are taking advantage of war and are also becoming increasingly tech-savvy, using technology and the internet to both advertise and sell children for sexual exploitation online and to distribute sexually explicit materials involving children.

“In this context new challenges emerge in preventing and combating trafficking,” Avelino said, and called for greater strategic collaboration in bringing these practices to an end.

This collaboration is especially needed with law enforcement agencies with experience in fighting human trafficking online through technology and online monitoring platforms.

“Urgent action is needed to protect the most vulnerable groups from exploitation, especially children, and support is needed for child victims of trafficking,” she said, and stressed the importance of listening to victims.

Quoting Pope Francis’s message last February for the annual World Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking, Avelino said, “It is essential to listen to those who are suffering.”

“I think of the victims of wars and conflicts, those affected by climate change, those forced to migrate, and those, especially women and children, who are exploited sexually or in the workplace. May we listen to their cry for help and feel challenged by the stories they tell,” she said.

Avelino pointed to various efforts Talitha Kum has made to combat human trafficking, especially online exploitation, saying the organization has organized numerous campaigns, events, and awareness-raising programs to prevent trafficking.

Recently, the organization launched an online app called “Walking in Dignity,” aimed at raising awareness of the signs of human trafficking and promoting behavioral change.

The app, according to an online description, invites users to join Talitha Kum and to make a commitment to contributing to the social transformation needed to achieve a world without human trafficking.

Talitha Kum has also organized various in-person and online events, and members have participated in television and radio programs, as well as street and social media campaigns, promoting awareness with the social media hashtags, “#EndingHumanTrafficking” and “#LeaveNoChildBehind.”

Avelino underlined the importance of being present with the people, and of education in reaching out to vulnerable young people in order to prevent trafficking from the start.

“Our approach aims to educate vulnerable young people and raise awareness of human trafficking, especially that targeting women and girls, migrants and refugees, and people at risk of human trafficking and exploitation,” she said, noting that in 2023, some 623,700 people were involved in prevention efforts.

“As we observe the worrying trends and developments in trafficking, we try to mobilize the attention of a wide range of stakeholders,” Avelino said, noting that earlier this month, Talitha Kum’s media channels have featured testimonies from their general assembly in May, which held the theme, “Compassion in Action for Transformation.”

Talitha Kum, she said, made a 5-year commitment to promoting systemic change at various levels, including the deepening a holistic and survivor-centered approach, as well as expanding collaboration and networking efforts.

Avelino said a paradigm shift is needed towards legal, social and economic justice for victims and survivors of trafficking, as well as those who are at risk of falling prey to traffickers and exploiters.

“Many victims and survivors remind us of the need to establish rules and regulations that support the prosperity of men and women as persons and members of their communities. But above all, this involves promoting a culture of dignity and an economy of care,” she said.

In pursuing a world without human trafficking, the whole of society, including government and Church leaders at all levels, must be involved, as well as those at the grassroots, Avelino said.

“We must protect the most vulnerable, especially children, from exploitation, and support child victims of trafficking,” she said, saying, “We are all called to be ambassadors of hope. Together, our actions have the power to transform lives with compassion and create a world free from human trafficking.”

Follow Elise Ann Allen on X: @eliseannallen