Even in good times it's a war on child traffickers for Plan Australia and other children's agencies. Following the Asian Tsunami though, agencies are on hyper alert, because traffickers and paedophiles are known to prey on children when they are vulnerable.

After food and water one of the greatest needs that children have in a disaster response is for protection. Many are orphaned or separated from their parents. They are often confused, lost and uncertain. It is critical they are reunited with a safe person or organisation otherwise they are easy prey.

Unfortunately the Tsunami has opened up a gaping hole in the protection that normally surrounds children. While one of the compelling images of this disaster is the houses that were swept away, what has gone as well, is the community and social structures that ordinarily protect children. Structures like families, schools, teachers, civil leaders, police, and legal authorities act as a protective web. Now they are thrown into disarray leaving many children vulnerable.

Unfortunately child trafficking is a serious problem in Asia even in good times. Children are trafficked to become replacement children, domestic help, for prostitution, for paedophilia. Some even end up in the sex industry in Australia. Children and teenagers are frequently tricked away from parents and end up in the clutches of an underground network that has the power to move them all around the world.

Plan Australia and related agencies like Child Wise try to stay one step ahead of the child traffickers and abusers but it is like the war on terrorism. They seek out the weak spots. Child centred agencies have to practice counter-child-trafficking. Therefore while it is appalling to hear of children being taken, it is not surprising. Trafficking goes on around the clock and the Tsunami has simply created rich pickings for child traffickers and paedophiles.

Something can be done about it and we must strengthen counter-trafficking across the region and especially in the disaster hit areas. Plan recommends measures such as careful registration of children to preserve their identities, creation of child safe havens, education of children and families to the tricks played by traffickers, fast restoration of schools, and setting up a referral systems for cases to the police and other authorities.

Plan relief workers also report that one of the biggest problems at the moment is the lack of activity for children in the relief camps. All their normal daily routines are gone. Shocked and devastated they must sit in temporary camps waiting for food and water. This can perpetuate the sense of powerlessness that the tsunami caused. It is vital that children and adults are given opportunities to claim back power. One way of doing this is to give children useful things to do as part of the recovery process. Children are not helpless individuals they can actually contribute a lot. If well directed they can mind younger siblings, fetch water, prepare food, assist with the clean up, and present plays and pantomimes that spread public health messages. These activities are important in themselves but they also help children regain a sense of control.

The tsunami devastated existing social power structures of the villages as well as the infrastructure. Suddenly parents and leaders are gone. Its not always clear who has the new power. Combined with this is the sense of powerlessness, crowded conditions, idleness and frustration of the camps. It is a dangerous mix for children. Sexual abuse is of course about power, not sex, and these conditions make children extremely vulnerable to those seeking to exert new power. They also make it possible for paedophiles to lure bored children away with attractive ruses. It is therefore critical that gender-balanced power structures are re-established quickly and that leaders help keep children safe with productive and interesting activities.

A common mistake in any disaster response is simply to be unaware of children, and to carry on with out checking what their specific needs and contribution might be. Children's voices are not easy to hear in these situations. There is the tyranny of the urgent. There are so many pressing needs. Nonetheless agencies that take the time to listen to children, to care for them, to protect them, and to help them regain control, will do a lot of powerful good. To neglect this discipline in the hectic rush of the response is to overlook the very ones we dare to rebuild the future for.

Plan Australia therefore urges all organisations working in the disaster-hit zone to be vigilant against child traffickers and abusers. All programs being set up to assist survivors should include measures to protect children. They should also include the interests and capabilities of children so that these children can regain a sense of value and control. Having survived the Tsunami it is unthinkable that any of them should fall victim to the traffickers and abusers.

By Ian Wishart
National Executive Director