Organizations that fight human trafficking say the coronavirus pandemic is causing an increase in the victimization of people around the world who have been left vulnerable.

The Global Protection Cluster is an independent network of more than 1,000 international non-governmental organizations that fight human trafficking that tends to rise during wartime conflicts and natural disasters. Led by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the group is surprised at the uptick in human trafficking during the highly contagious pandemic.

The Global Protection Cluster had planned to address human trafficking in areas hit by earthquakes, typhoons, and hurricanes throughout 2020. Now, the group is struggling to convince first responders to see trafficking prevention as an additional measure to save lives.

Sex trafficking heightens during international crises because support services often become scarce or even non-existent. Areas, where people felt safe with homes, jobs, and families, can see their worlds torn apart because of war, droughts, floods, or disease. The people, often the young ones, are left to survive with little or no assistance and become easy targets for human traffickers.

Tatiana Kotlyarenko, an advisor on anti-trafficking issues for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, spoke with ForeignPolicy.com.

Kotlyarenko said she’s already hearing that victims are being forced to participate in even more dangerous activities to earn money that goes to the traffickers and that they’re facing increasing levels of violence. While victims are enduring all of that, they also are in further debt to their traffickers, she said.

Combatting human trafficking during the pandemic has become more difficult as humanitarians are faced with obstacles to deliver services. Even though curfews and lockdowns are in place to limit the spread of the virus, such measures also reduce the delivery of services in these areas. At the same time, many Global Protection Cluster workers report increased risks of physical and domestic violence because of the lockdowns and curfews.

“While efforts are being made to adapt programs to the new reality, major obstacles are still evident in terms of monitoring, case management, alternative care and referral pathways,” reports the Global Protection Cluster on its website.

In areas around the globe where people are finding it difficult to obtain food or water, nongovernment organizations feel stretched too thin to combat human trafficking, too. Still, human trafficking is a very real danger to vulnerable people who already are struggling to survive.

The Global Protection Cluster reports its own workers are being hit hard by the coronavirus, too.  The organization reported nearly 12,000 people within the operations have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and 492 have died, but they suspect the actual numbers are much higher due to the following reasons:

• Insufficient reporting systems
• Governments manipulating the numbers
• A lack of testing facilities or lack of testing affordability
• Some communities note an increased stigma associated with COVID-19

In some areas, people have been attacked because of rumors they have the coronavirus or because pictures of them being tested for the disease ended up on social media.

U.S. Organizations That Fight Human Trafficking

In the U.S., the pandemic has slowed down the economy, but not human trafficking.

The FBI has a child exploitation and human trafficking task force in New York that has identified several traffickers advertising women who are free of the virus or who will agree to wear masks and gloves to help potential customers feel more at ease.

In Los Angeles, the number of sex workers and the number of johns willing to pay for sex has remained about the same, according to an article in the Los Angeles Times.

The LA Times spoke with Stephany Powell, executive director of Journey Out, an LA-based organization that assists victims of sex trafficking. She said the women on the streets are aware of COVID-19 and afraid of it, but either poverty or pimps are forcing them to stay on the street.

Los Angeles has actually reported an increase in the demand for sex work, and some advocates wonder if it’s because the commercial establishments that host sexually-charged shows are all closed.

One woman who runs an outreach agency to help women leave the streets said she’s particularly saddened by seeing women who had left the sex worker world go back to it now. More than one woman who had become an employee at a restaurant or with a ride-hailing service has seen such legitimate jobs disappear.

“Traffickers and pimps will use whatever vulnerabilities they can to exert, coerce and extend the exploitation of women and girls,” said Siddharth Kara, a human trafficking expert and a visiting scientist at the Harvard School of Public Health, who spoke with the LA Times.

If you were a victim of sex trafficking and forced to work at a truck stop, hotel or motel, night club or other hotel venue, you may be eligible to move forward with a civil investigation against these businesses. This investigation involves a civil case, and is not a criminal case against you or your loved ones.

Top Class Actions is working with experienced human trafficking attorneys who will be informed and sensitive to your situation. Join the fight by filling out the short form on this page. 

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