Nov 6

Written by: host
11/6/2006 5:37 PM

The French NGO “Women’s Freedom” has estimated that about 3,500 Iraqi women have gone missing since the invasion by US led forces. In the chaos that followed many women and children have found themselves in situations of poverty and are vulnerable to being trafficked. It is believed that many are sold to Dubai in the UAE and also to Syria.\r\n“People are desperate to get money to support their families … just to have something to eat. If the government does not act on this issue, more women will be abused outside Iraq,” Nuha Salim, spokeswoman for the NGO, said.\r\nThe Iraqi government say they are investigating the problem, but are finding it hard to make progress given the present security situation.\r\nIn Dubai, human rights activist Sharla Musabih said;\r\n“It’s not organised in the UAE but there is an organised mafia outside [the country] that owns hotels in the UAE and they organise it … But, on the other hand, the big guys [Emirati nationals] involved in immigration are really concerned and are trying to do something about it and they care about it.”\r\nTo read more on this and related subjects, please visit Middle East Online by clicking here.

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