At least 245 children have been intercepted from being trafficked and unnecessarily or illegally placed in children’s care homes since the first earthquake hit Nepal almost two months ago, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has reported.

The children’s agency is working with the Government and the Nepal Police to reduce the risk of trafficking through targeted action and policy measures.

"UNICEF feared a surge in trafficking cases after the two earthquakes", said Tomoo Hozumi, a UNICEF representative in Nepal over the weekend. "Loss of livelihoods and worsening living conditions may allow traffickers to easily convince parents to give their children up for what they are made to believe will be a better life."

The traffickers, he stressed, promise education, meals and a better future. But the reality is that many of those children could end up being "horrendously exploited and abused," Mr. Hozumi warned.

Adapted from the UN official website

Photo: UNICEF