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People trafficking report highlights fears that COVID-19 has diverted resources from rescuing victims  

People trafficking report highlights fears that COVID-19 has diverted resources from rescuing victims  

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Disturbing new data released on Tuesday from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has highlighted concerns that most human trafficking victims who manage to escape, do so without the help of law enforcement. 

The worry is that the COVID pandemic has forced governments to divert resources away from law enforcement activities that include tracking smuggling rings and locating victims.  

The coronavirus is also believed to be responsible for a reported 11 per cent drop in the number of trafficking victims, but the devil is in the details, as UNODC’s Fabrizio Sarrica tells UN News’s Daniel Johnson. 

Audio Credit
Daniel Johnson, UN News - Geneva
Audio
7'20"
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© UNODC