editor
On July 30, the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons has cast a stark light on Africa’s growing human trafficking crisis, driven by war, poverty, and mass displacement. Countries such as Sudan, Nigeria, and those in the Horn of Africa are facing increasingly dire situations as traffickers exploit vulnerable populations, especially women and children.
In Sudan, the ongoing war has left over 7.6 million people internally displaced, with nearly 5 million refugees fleeing to neighboring countries like Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, and South Sudan. According to UNHCR and the African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies, these groups are at high risk of being trafficked into forced labor, sexual exploitation, organ harvesting, and kidnapping. Sudan remains in Tier 3 — the lowest ranking — in the U.S. State Department’s Trafficking in Persons Report, indicating minimal efforts to tackle the crisis.
The Horn of Africa faces a similarly alarming trend. Educated youth are increasingly targeted with fraudulent job offers and trafficked into forced labor or scam centers abroad. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) highlights a surge in trafficking linked to forced criminality, made worse by armed conflict and fragile legal systems that fail to protect citizens or prosecute offenders.
In Nigeria, the Adinya Arise Foundation (AAF) reports rising incidents of child trafficking, sex slavery, and organ trade. The foundation is urging government and international bodies to prioritize victim support and systemic reforms.
This year’s theme, “Human Trafficking is Organized Crime: End the Exploitation,” is accompanied by the UNODC’s focus on strengthening law enforcement and the justice system, with an emphasis on victim-centered approaches.
Activists warn that without urgent, coordinated action, trafficking will continue to grow across conflict-ridden regions of Africa — becoming not just a consequence, but a legacy of humanitarian collapse.
