Human trafficking and contemporary forms of slavery affect an estimated 27 million people per year and constitute one of the most complex and growing threats to fundamental human rights, integrity, and the health of men, women, and children worldwide. Trafficking is driven by gender inequalities, social exclusion, the absence of equal opportunity and prospects for employment, stark intra and inter-State economic disparities, and corruption. The highest level of vulnerability to human trafficking is found in countries and regions exposed to continued political instability and a lack of resources, undermining the capacity of public authorities to prevent the activities of criminal networks preying on poor families and communities.

Natural disasters and armed conflicts are primary environments for this illicit trade, raising the need for a cogent international response to human trafficking in complex emergencies. Interestingly, humanitarian organizations have had only limited engagement on human trafficking. This issue is perceived as belonging to a law enforcement and crime prevention agenda under the mandates of development and peace-building agencies, to be implemented in the context of the reestablishment of a functional legal and social order. Yet, the increase of human trafficking activities emanating from complex emergencies such as in Haiti, Sudan, Somalia, or Afghanistan over the last decade makes it a priority. Therefore, international agencies and NGOs are bound to engage on the prevention of this illegal trade, calling for a clear, sustainable, international humanitarian response to human trafficking. Such a response will require proper strategies, as well as concrete tools and mechanisms for early warning and emergency response, so as to build the capacity of international agencies and NGOs to address this phenomenon in situations of armed conflict and natural disaster.