Armed Conflict and Human Trafficking
Armed conflict often leads to an escalation of human trafficking. Chaos, impunity, state weakness or collapse, a lack of border controls and the brutalization of elements within societies allow human trafficking to flourish. The destruction of the economy and a loss of income earned by male family members make some women vulnerable to forced prostitution and children vulnerable to recruitment as child soldiers.
Conflict areas may become areas of origin, transit or destination:
- War zones as areas of origin
The abduction and sale of women and girls often becomes an important source of income for warring factions. Human trafficking in war zones can be intertwined with trafficking in drugs or weapons.
- War zones as transit areas
The absence of law enforcement and border controls in conflict zones facilitate the transport of human beings through war zones.
- War zones as destination areas
The breakdown of law and order and the increased demand for sexual services by warring factions and some members of peacekeeping forces can turn conflict zones into destination areas for trafficked persons. Moreover, children are trafficked into war zones and forced to work, among other places, in mines.
Human Trafficking in Post-Conflict Settings
Once a conflict has ended, states and societies must be reconstructed and the rule of law re-established. The protection of human rights should be a priority for peace support operations (PSOs). A gender perspective is necessary in order to address the causes and consequences of human trafficking, as the end of conflict does not mean the end of trafficking. On the contrary, trafficking can increase in post-conflict environments marked by political instability and social disintegration. Criminal networks, many of whom have risen to positions of power and wealth during the conflict, exploit state and societal weakness. The United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute analyzes the role of trafficking in post-conflict settings as follows:
Trafficked persons coming from post-conflict zones
Immediately after the implementation of a ceasefire, peace agreement or the deployment of a PSO, there is an increased risk that a particular territory will become an area of origin for THB. Social disintegration and a lack of economic opportunities put women and children at increased risk of being trafficked. Displaced and refugee women trying to return to their homes or fleeing from camps are particularly vulnerable. High levels of sexual and domestic violence on the part of ex-combatants trying to regain control over their families/homes often sharply increases the will of women to seek a better alternative.
Trafficked persons going to post-conflict zones
The demand for prostitution by members of the military is not a new phenomenon: Organized criminal groups traffic their victims in such areas mostly for sexual exploitation. It is no surprise that the presence of foreign troops in a post-conflict region creates or drastically enlarges local sex markets. Once the market is maintained by the presence of foreign troops, locals often fuel the market further by becoming clients as well.
Trafficking in areas of Peace Support Operations
Unfortunately, the deployment of Peace Support Operations (PSOs) often brings with it an increased demand for sexual services and domestic labor. Consequently, a number of post-conflict regions have become areas of destination for victims of trafficking as a direct consequence of the presence of substantial numbers of international civilian and military personnel. Although there is an absence of comprehensive data, and despite the fact that few cases have been fully investigated and proven, there is strong anecdotal evidence that international personnel have become involved, knowingly or unknowingly, in the use of sexual services of trafficking victims.
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