Somaliland shares a border with the Somalian region of Puntland in the east.

April 6, 2010: "One day, my sister went to school, but she disappeared," said Najib Jama Abdi, the girl's brother. Both live in Somalia's northeast region of Puntland. "We searched for her everywhere but didn't find her. Finally, we heard from the media that she had been trafficked to Somaliland and by Allah's mercy she was saved."

This lucky girl's story had a happy ending. She was recently reunited with her family at a ceremony in Somaliland's capital, Hargeisa. Fadumo Sudi, Somaliland's Minister for Family and Social Affairs, said at the event that human trafficking in Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991, was on the rise.

Most of the child trafficking dramas that take place in the region do not end so well. According to the IRIN news service, which captured the story on April 2, Somaliland's government is trying to raise awareness of the trafficking problem. But solutions are stymied by several factors. These include the public's unfamiliarity with the concept of trafficking, a lack of social services, and the cultural stigma associated with the issue.

SOS Children's Villages Protects Children from Trafficking

Children gather for a photo at SOS Children's Villages - Hargeisa, in Somaliland.

Trafficked children from Somalia are exploited in different ways. Adults use them to beg or force them into child labor or prostitution. The mission of SOS Children's Villages, which has operated in Somaliland since the late 1990s, is to provide safe, loving homes for destitute children.

Children whose families have been thrown into poverty by war, disease, or natural disaster often find themselves hungry and alone. They make easy prey for child traffickers. By offering such children a warm home, an SOS mother, an education, and medical care, SOS Children's Villages gives them hope and a future. In Somaliland, SOS runs a model high school in Sheikh, about 55 miles south of the port city of Berbera. The charity also operates an SOS Children's Village in Hargeisa. In keeping with SOS policy, its schools, clinics, and family strengthening programs are open not only to SOS children but to neighboring families in need.

Help Keep a Child Safe

SOS works in 132 countries to keep families intact so that their children do not become vulnerable to scourges such as child trafficking. For children who find themselves without parental care, SOS Children's Villages provides three square meals a day and a loving, supportive community.

For very little money, you can save a boy or girl from becoming a victim of trafficking. Please, make a donation to support SOS Children's Villages' work in Somaliland.