Nepal....2nd in the series of 5 countries to pray for

Nepal....2nd in the series of 5 countries to pray for

Update before publishing: I had typed this post out yesterday, all ready to publish for today when I heard that yet another earthquake hit Nepal early today (centered east of Kathmandu). With a magnitude of 7.3, (as compared to the 7.8 of April 25th's earthquake), it was no small tremor.  There are more deaths and further destruction because of it and YES, this country does need our prayers (and donations):
  
The next country on my list was Nepal...even before the disastrous earthquake hit.  Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world and has been filled for years with political turmoil, which has limited it's economic progress and growth. The death toll yesterday was listed at barely over 8,000 people and there are remote areas still to be reached.  
Human trafficking was a problem in Nepal before the earthquake, of course.  An estimated 15,000-20,000 women and children ages 12-25 cross the porous border from Nepal into India to be trafficked each year.  It is considered the busiest route of human trafficking in the world.

Right now, there is an increased effort by traffickers to enslave vulnerable young women.  Many individuals are left with fewer options than they had prior to the disaster and the destruction allows for less constraint and protection. In this case, the moving of individuals can be portrayed as an act of charity in order to seduce an individual to come to a new location for a job or to get a roof over their heads.  It is possible that displacement camps set up after the earthquake are already being targeted.  Trafficking agents may be posing as aid workers. Witnesses have seen people, in the name of relief, offering jobs to children and adolescent girls.

As I explained in a previous post, but just to reiterate: There are a set of standards that have been set forth in the US to grade each country on its efforts to end trafficking and help the victims.  It is called the "Trafficking Victims Protection Act".  Standards are given for each country to meet and each country has been graded on their progress or efforts to improve. There are 4 tiers: 1) The country fully complies 2) Not fully, but making significant efforts 3) Watch list: There are a significant number of victims and there is no evidence to improve conditions based on commitments for the next year 4) Do not comply and are not making efforts to do so.  

Nepal is listed as a 2. So, despite the fact that the country has a significant problem with numbers of individuals being trafficked, this means the government is making an effort to discuss solutions and implement changes. They do not fully comply with the minimum standards for trafficking elimination, but they are making efforts to bring themselves to that point.  
Currently, much of the country's security personnel is involved with rescue and relief so there is nobody available to monitor trafficking at the borders. The government however, is calling on individual ministries to help with this in an effort to protect women, so that is definitely to their credit. 

Prayer points:

• For the recovery of this country and its precious people after the earthquake.
• For evil to be stopped in its tracks where there are traffickers trying to take advantage of the vulnerability of the situation.  
• For all of the recovery aid workers and ministries who are tirelessly building, gathering supplies, making calls to see what is needed, monitoring the borders for traffickers etc.
• These are the words from a friend of mine's facebook page.  She lives in Nepal.  Her home was not affected by the quake, but destruction is not far from them:  

Please pray for the social and political situation in Nepal right now. The government is confiscating relief materials and funds saying it has to go through them first, they are turning away aid workers saying 'there's nothing for them to do' because the government is so incompetent in delegating the efforts........while thousands of people sit in their villages SIX days after the earthquake with still no help. Clinics are turning away victims who can't pay. People are being arrested for spreading rumors about another bigger earthquake coming. Groups are demonstrating in Kathmandu out of frustration of the government's gross lack of management of this crisis, which just further blocks the already jammed traffic throughout the city. It's an absolute mess! This country needs your prayer!

Sources:listdose.com, thegaurdian.com, news.sky.com, bangkokpost.com, 3angelsnepal.com

photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28577026@N02/17349507036">2015-03-30 04-15 Nepal 673 Pokhara, Phewa Lake</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(license)</a> photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/56796376@N00/497618592">Nepal - Sagamartha Trek - 061 - Ama Dablam</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(license)</a>