To Better Know A Country: Human Trafficking in Djibouti

by Amanda Kloer · 2009-09-16 07:00:00 UTC
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Every year, the U.S. State Department releases a Trafficking in Persons report which rates countries on their efforts to combat human trafficking.  Each week, I'll be providing a brief glance at human trafficking in one of those countries, based off the 2009 Trafficking in Persons Report, with my own (often snarky) analysis added.  This is just a snapshot of what's going on in the country.  For more information, you can check out the full text of the 2009 Trafficking in Persons Report here. 

This Week's Country..... Djibouti

Basic Stats

  • Ranking: Tier 2 Watch List

  • Status: Source, transit and destination country for trafficking victims

  • Political Stability: Djibouti is to democracy as Simon Cowell is to gushing praise. 

  • Cash Flow: Like rain in the Sahara

  • Do I Think They Care?: They might care more if we stopped giggling at their name   

Who Are the Victims and What Are They Doing?

  • Women: Commercial sex and domestic servitude

  • Girls: Commercial sex

Where Are They Coming From and Where Are They Going?

  • Victims are trafficked from Somalia, Ethiopia, and Eritrea to Djibouti.

  • Victims from Djibouti are trafficked to the Middle East and some parts of Europe . 

  • Victims are trafficked through Djibouti fom Ethiopia and Somalia to the Middle East, especially Yemen.

What's Gotta Happen?

  • Enforce anti-trafficking laws.

  • Educate government officials on all forms of human trafficking.

  • Establish victim identification procedures.

What Can I Do?

In summary, Djibouti may have a funny name, but its got a serious human trafficking problem.  Its location makes it the perfect transit country for slaves being transported from East Africa to the Middle East.  Couple with its small size, lack of financial resources, and heavy reliance on foreign aid, Djibouti is a trafficking nightmare.  Even if the government steps up efforts and fully commits to fighting trafficking, it will still be a long battle.

Amanda Kloer is a Change.org Editor and has been a full-time abolitionist in several capacities for seven years. Follow her on Twitter @endhumantraffic
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