Vienna (Austria), 9 April 2020 - With growing attention to the impact of COVID-19 on victims of trafficking in persons globally, the UN Voluntary Trust Fund for Victims of Human Trafficking, in the context of its first ever emergency response window, will support 10 new NGOs across the following world regions: West Africa, East Africa, North Africa, South Asia and Western Asia. The Trust Fund is managed by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Under sub-programme 1 of its fourth call for proposals, the Trust Fund will be working with specialized NGOs that provide essential assistance to human trafficking survivors at a time where it is becoming increasingly difficult for the most vulnerable in society to be recognized as victims of this hidden crime.
Through its small grants programme, the Trust Fund remains at the vanguard of the crisis in supporting grassroots organizations worldwide to respond to the needs of a greater number of victims. The Trust Fund’s priority focus is on projects targeting women and girls, refugees and migrants including IDPs and victims arising from armed conflict or instability caused by a breakdown of law.
The Trust Fund has reserved USD 2 million in grants for selected NGOs and remains committed to delivering vital assistance to human trafficking victims globally and bringing this terrible crime out of the shadows. To this end, the Trust Fund expects to launch a second emergency window call later in the year in addition to its regular call for proposals under its small grants programme, that would require a replenishment of the fund on the basis of the growing demand in 2020.
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Since its inception in 2010, the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund for Victims of Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women & Children has received USD 7 million in contributions from 31 Member States, 33 private sector organizations and scores of individual donors. The Trust Fund provided grants to 60 NGO projects that offer essential assistance to 3000 trafficking survivors a year in over 40 countries.
