Skip to main content
UNICEF USA
      • Children's Education
      • Every Child Educated
      • Child-Friendly Schools
      • Equity
      • Girls' Education
      • Kids In Need of Desks (K.I.N.D.)
      • Learning Passport
      • Children's Health
      • Every Child Healthy
      • Breastfeeding
      • Immunization
      • Mental Health
      • Nutrition
      • Water
      • Children's Protection
      • Every Child Protected
      • Child Migrants & Refugees
      • Child Trafficking
        • Child Trafficking
        • End Trafficking — World
        • Stop Trafficking
      • Respect for Children
      • Every Child Respected
      • Child Friendly Cities
      • Children with Disabilities
      • Gender Equality
      • Innovation
      • Emergency Response
      • Relief for Every Child
      • Child Poverty
      • Climate Change
      • Conflict
      • Earthquakes
      • Food Crises
      • UNICEF Supply Division
      • Weather Disasters
      • Where UNICEF Works
      • Africa
      • Asia
      • Europe
      • Middle East
      • North America
      • South America
      • Careers
      • Open Positions
    • Diversity, Racial Equity & Belonging
      • Finances
      • Annual Report
      • Financial Disclosure
      • Leadership
      • Regional Boards
      • National Board of Directors
      • Leadership Team
      • National Youth Council
      • Next Gen
      • Partnerships
      • Companies
      • Foundations
      • Humanitarian Organizations
        • Humanitarian Organizations
        • Faith Based Partnerships
        • Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society, Inc.
        • Sudanese American Medical Association
        • Together Women Rise
        • Together for Girls
        • Advanced Remarketing Services
        • Delta Sigma Theta Society
        • Diaspora Partnerships
        • General Federation of Women's Clubs
        • Global Giving
        • Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America
        • Kiwanis International
        • National Arab American Medical Association
        • Nova Ukraine
        • Rotary International
        • Sacred Heart Schools Chicago
        • The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International
        • Zonta International
      • Our Supporters
    • UNICEF USA and UNICEF
      • Advocate
      • How We Work
      • Donate
      • Donate Monthly
      • Every Child Fund
      • IMPACT Fund for Children
      • Mercury Fund
      • Donors & Philanthropists
      • Joint Investment Mechanism
      • Donor-Advised Funds
      • Fundraise
      • Start an Online Fundraiser
      • Events
    • Impact Investing
    • UNICEF Clubs
    • Ways To Give

Be the first to know about UNICEF's humanitarian relief efforts in times of emergency.

Utility Menu

  • Shop
  • Sign In
Donate Now
HOW TO HELP STOP CHILD TRAFFICKING Banner

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. What UNICEF Does
  3. Children's Protection

How To Help Stop
Child Trafficking

Traffickers turn war, political corruption, poverty and natural disasters to their advantage. Desperate families and individuals often feel they have little choice but to risk exploitation in an effort to survive. Learn more.

Donate

Children are increasingly vulnerable to forced labor, sexual slavery and other forms of exploitation

Now more than ever, children need protection from predatory criminals who turn the vulnerability and desperation of their victims into big business. Human trafficking — the buying and selling of people for exploitative purposes — thrives in times of conflict and crisis.

"Human trafficking has taken on horrific dimensions as armed groups and terrorists use it to spread fear and gain victims to offer as incentives to recruit new fighters," says Yury Fedotov, Executive Director of UNODC, citing child soldiers, forced labor and sexual slavery as examples.

Though it’s not clear how improvements in detection, recording and reporting methods have contributed to the rise, the conditions that put children at risk are clear. Turning war, political corruption, poverty and natural disasters to their advantage, traffickers are now generating approximately $39 billion annually on the exploitation of children alone.

According to the latest global estimates, over 150 million children are subjected to child labor with nearly half in hazardous forms of work. One in four victims of modern slavery are children and are mostly girls. 

Whether it is the trafficking of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, the exploitation of Central American migrants bound for the United States, the sexual enslavement of women and girls in Europe, or the forced labor of sub-Saharan Africans or refugees from the Middle East, 

What should you do if you suspect human trafficking?

If you suspect someone is a victim of trafficking, the National Human Trafficking Hotline is your best resource. Call the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888: Anti-Trafficking Hotline Advocates are available 24/7 to take reports of potential human trafficking.

Text the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 233733.

Contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline Web Chat via www.humantraffickinghotline.org/chat

Report missing children or child pornography to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) at 1-800-THE-LOST (843-5678) or through the Cybertipline.

 

Donate

Recommended Stories

UNICEF helps unaccompanied child migrants like Berhan, 17, who left Ethiopia to find work but was captured by human traffickers in Yemen and held captive for five months.

Helping Survivors of Child Trafficking Get Their Lives Back

Child trafficking preys upon children in desperate circumstances who cross borders alone, hoping to find work to support their families.
UNICEF works around the world to protect children from all forms of violence and exploitation.

It's Time to End Violence Against Children

Show your support for the Congressional Resolution to End Violence Against Children Globally
UNICEF, Chad, Yakoua

Empowered to End Exploitation

Human trafficking touches the lives of many, but girls and women are disproportionately impacted by exploitation worldwide.
A safe house run by the Penelope Association in Taormina, Sicily provides shelter for women and girls who were trafficked for sexual purposes.

Fleeing Boko Haram, and Tricked into Sexual Exploitation

Almost one-third of all detected trafficking victims are children. The vast majority are girls. Here is one girl's story.
unicef, rohingya, bangladesh

Preventing Human Trafficking in Humanitarian Emergencies

Armed conflict, natural disasters and political unrest often lead to increased human trafficking. Girls and women are especially vulnerable.
UNICEF supporter Ashley Cobile was part of a group that summited Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2018.

Lessons Learned and Money Raised on the Slopes of Kilimanjaro

Determined to help stop human trafficking, Ashley Cobile summited Mount Kilimanjaro — and raised more than $3,000 for UNICEF.
See all

Main navigation

  • What Unicef Does
    • Children's Education
    • Children's Health
    • Children's Protection
    • Respect for Children
    • Emergency Response
    • Where UNICEF Works
  • About UNICEF USA
    • Careers
    • Diversity, Racial Equity & Belonging
    • Finances
    • Leadership
    • Partnerships
    • UNICEF USA and UNICEF
  • How to Help
    • Advocate
    • Donate
    • Fundraise
    • Impact Investing
    • UNICEF Clubs
    • Ways To Give

Footer

  • Media Hub
  • Stories of UNICEF in Action
  • Why UNICEF is the Best Charity to Donate to
  • Manage Cookies
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
UNICEF USA
(800) 367-5437  |  125 Maiden Lane, New York, NY 10038.
©2023 U.S. Fund for UNICEF d/b/a UNICEF USA. All Rights Reserved.
U.S. Fund for UNICEF d/b/a UNICEF USA is a 501(c)(3) organization.
Gifts are deductible to the full extent allowable under IRS regulations.

Subfoot Menu

  • Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • SMS Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Linking Agreement
  • FAQ
  • Jobs