Almost two months after Super Typhoon Haiyan hit the central part of the Philippines, people are still suffering from hunger, dehydration, displacement and emotional stress, as well as another tragedy often linked to natural disasters: human trafficking.

Out of the thousands of survivors relocated to Manila and Cebu, a yet unknown number of youngsters have been snatched by mafias to be sold to prostitution dens and modern slavemasters, according to Bishop Broderick Pabillo, convenor of the Philippines’ Interfaith Movement Against Human Trafficking and Manila’s auxiliary bishop.

“During disaster situations [like Haiyan], a lot of people are desperate to look for work, shelter, and education, among other things. These particular vulnerabilities are the usual things offered to them by exploiters,” Pabillo told Devex. “It’s sad that victims are already suffering the effects of disasters and are still being put under human trafficking.”

Haiyan affected over 16 million people with 4 million displaced, according to the country’s disaster management agency. Although a number of victims have decided to come back and rebuild their lives in their devastated communities in Leyte and Samar, the majority remain in Manila and Cebu.

These people include women and children, the most vulnerable to human trafficking, a long-standing concern in the Philippines, described as “a source … destination and transit country for men, women and children who are subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor” by the www.humantrafficking.org, part of the U.S.-based aid group FHI 360.

For the complete article, please see devex.