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Human trafficking is a global epidemic getting worse, not better, with time. While there is more awareness about human trafficking than has previously existed, it still remains a problem in desperate need of fixing.

Individuals who perpetuate human trafficking rely upon force, fraud, and coercion to keep their victims in bondage. Trafficked persons are also treated as property and commodities to be sold and exploited.

Unfortunately, the United Nations has some bad news about one of the worst abuses of human rights today.

The United Nations on human trafficking

According to the United Nations, the COVID pandemic is believed to have advanced already-existing, serious cases of human trafficking. This analysis is based on a reported drop in reports of trafficking when COVID was at its worst globally.

It is the view of the United Nations that reports dropped for multiple reasons. Firstly, resources that would have ordinarily gone to helping victims of human trafficking were redirected to public health matters.

Secondly, the chaos associated with COVID granted human traffickers the ability to go by undetected at a higher rate, taking their crimes "underground." In 2020, an 11% decline in reported global human trafficking cases occurred, compared to 2019.

Troubling signs for the future

More information from the United Nations doesn't get any better. The group believes that because of what happened during COVID, discovering human trafficking cases may become increasingly more challenging.

It is likewise the view of the United Nations that a decline in detected trafficking cases speaks to a greater number of human traffickers getting away with their crimes.

In order to change this, the United Nations stresses the importance of a shift in how human trafficking is widely thought about.

A call to action

Each person can play a role in the fight against human trafficking. Whether that happens by spreading the word to raise awareness or supporting anti-human trafficking organizations, every little bit counts.

At the end of the day, human traffickers thrive on silence, fear, and ignorance. Being vocal, unafraid, and knowledgeable are some of the best ways to help fight human trafficking.

Anyone who wishes to report what they believe to be human trafficking can contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline via phone at 1 (888) 373-7888 or by text at 233733.