The IOM office in Ecuador has launched an
information campaign to raise awareness and promote the development
of local policies to prevent human trafficking in Ecuador's
northern border.

Despite initiatives put in place by the
Government to prevent and combat human trafficking, poverty and
lack of knowledge about human trafficking and its dangers are the
main causes for the high number of people falling victims to human
traffickers in Ecuador.

Although there is no research or concrete
statistics on human trafficking in Ecuador, the International
Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that more 5,000 girls and
adolescents have been trafficked for purposes of sexual
exploitation. The majority of the victims hail from small towns and
are transported to larger urban areas.

In the northern provinces of Esmeraldas and
Sucumbios, illegal prostitution has increased in the past few years
along with the existence of large sexual exploitation networks.
According to the United Nations, of 400 sex workers in Sucumbios,
approximately 50% are minors and 70% are Colombian migrants.

Working with CARE Ecuador, Esquel Foundation
and other partners, such as the National Police, IOM is carrying
out information and awareness raising workshops; distributing
information material; and creating conditions for future discussion
and action amongst local authorities.

At the end of the three month campaign,
authorities and civil society representatives of five local
governments from Esmeraldas and Sucumbios will have increased their
knowledge about human trafficking and will be able to inform other
in their communities.

This project aims to contribute to the
development of local policies to prevent human trafficking in
Ecuador’s northern border, and is part of the USAID-funded
IOM Northern Border Development Program. Since 2001, IOM has worked
with the Government of Ecuador, through its Northern Development
Unit (UDENOR) to strengthen and improve the living conditions in
communities on the border that receive internationally displaced
persons from Colombia. Since then more than 170 projects have been
executed that have directly benefited 225,692 persons.

IOM is also providing advice and financial
support to the recently created Inter-institutional Commission
tasked with the drafting of a National Plan to "Combat Human
Trafficking and Other Forms of Sexual and Labour Exploitation in
Ecuador.

For further information, contact:

María Isabel Moncayo

IOM Ecuador

Tel: +593 2 22 53 948/49/50

E-mail: "mailto:mmoncayo@oim.org.ec" target="_blank" title=
"">mmoncayo@oim.org.ec