Child trafficking on the rise [Archives:2005/887/Local News]

SANA'A – Oct. 16 – A security source in Harad, near the borders with Saudi Arabia, revealed last week to different media that a large number of children have been sent to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to be exploited as beggars.

Seven attempts of smuggling nearly 250 children had been stopped during the first week of Ramadan. The security source said that in each attempt of smuggling they found over 30 children.

“12 children did not know the motive for their being trafficked to the Saudi territory as they are still under six years of age. Other children had some understanding of the reasons behind the smuggling, which was conducted with the knowledge of the parents,” the source added.

In the final week of Sha'aban, five infiltration attempts were stopped at the Saudi border. Here, the intention was to pass 220 kids into Saudi Arabia to be exploited in beggary.

According to the security source, most of the child trafficking operations that succeed in crossing borders and reach the Saudi lands are stopped.

He described such operations as “the organized” since they take place according to the consent of parents and smugglers. Parents are usually paid by smugglers in order to allow their children to pass into Saudi Arabia to be used for beggary.

Children who are trafficked into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are subjected to several risks during the infiltration operations, but also after their arrival where they can be subjected to diseases, and physical and sexual abuse.
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