Kathmandu, February 4:

Aid Development Programme Specialist at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Madhuri Singh, today stressed the role of media in controlling trafficking of human beings.

Addressing an interaction on human trafficking here, Singh said people must be made aware of trafficking and the media can play a prominent role by investigating and disseminating news on trafficking.

Human trafficking cases can be minimised through prevention, protection and prosecution, she said.

She added that the media should make people aware of the facts, programmes, and court verdicts against human trafficking so that the problem can be minimised.

She stressed the need for special training for journalists on trafficking to make anti-trafficking drives more effective.

Deepak Maskey, deputy programme director at The Daywalka Foundation, said: “Illiteracy, poverty, lack of awareness and conflict are the factors behind the rise in human trafficking cases.” He added that annually about 12,000 women are trafficked abroad.

He lauded the roles played by the government, non-governmental organisations and the

media in making people aware about trafficking.

Srijana Siwakoti, programme coordinator at the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), said: “The media shouldn’t present sensitive news of a victim in a sensational manner, as it can have a negative affect on the victim.”