An awareness-raising campaign to alert
Pakistanis to human trafficking and the vulnerability of people,
particularly women and children affected by the October 2005
earthquake, was launched yesterday.

The campaign, funded by Japan, was launched
from the H-11 relief camp in Islamabad, which for the past 5 months
has provided a temporary home for families fleeing the
quake-affected areas of Pakistan-administered Kashmir (PAK) and
North West Frontier Province (NWFP).

Calling for a coherent approach to combat
human trafficking, IOM Regional Representative Hassan Abdel Moneim
Mustafa said that IOM will work with the Pakistan government,
international organizations and agencies, and local and
international NGOs to target information at potentially vulnerable
groups - especially separated/widowed women, separated/orphaned
children and widowed single parents.

"In the months following the earthquake,
affected families will increasingly feel the long-term economic
effects of the disaster and may become more vulnerable to
traffickers' tempting offers of work, education and good marriages
to relieve their burden," said Hiroshi Azuma, Minister at the
Japanese Embassy in Islamabad.

The awareness campaign is backed by the
Pakistani government, which, after consulting IOM, dispatched
anti-trafficking units of the Federal Investigation Agency to
quake-affected areas in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake
to help prevent human trafficking. "We are offering our full
support and cooperation for all the components of this awareness
campaign," said Interior Minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao.

IOM counter trafficking teams are already
working in Mansehra (NWFP) and Muzaffarabad (PAK) to coordinate
with aid workers, army and camp personnel, medical staff, local
officials, journalists, policemen and community leaders in the
quake-affected areas to identify vulnerable individuals and monitor
the situation.

IOM is also providing livelihood assistance
and creating income-generation activities for vulnerable
quake-affected populations with the support of the US State
Department's Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration
(PRM.)

For more information, please contact:

Darren Boisvert

Tel. +92.300.856.0341

Email: "mailto:dboisvert@iom.int" target="_blank" title=
"">dboisvert@iom.int

Saleem Rehmat

Tel. +92.300.856.5967

Email: "mailto:srehmat@iom.int" target="_blank" title=
"">srehmat@iom.int