Tsunami survivors shown how to avoid trafficking

Sri Lankan tsunami survivors were told Wednesday of job and training opportunities which would help them avoid falling victim to traffickers, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said.

Around 100 males and females between the ages of 16 and 22 who survived the December 26 tsunami were given an opportunity to meet state officials responsible for training and providing jobs, the IOM said.

It said the people who attended a one-day workshop in the southern town of Kalutara had no jobs or knowledge of vocational training opportunities and were vulnerable to exploitation.

More than 31,000 people were killed and a million initially left homeless after the December 26 tsunami that devastated most of the island's coastline. Sri Lanka has won 3.2 billion dollars in foreign aid pledges for tsunami reconstruction.

The IOM did not give figures for trafficking. But officials said they feared that some of those left destitute by the tsunamis could end up joining the estimated 30,000 males and females, some still children, working as prostitutes at coastal resorts.

He said getting back to work was an important step in recovering from the psychological aftermath of the tsunami, the worst natural disaster to hit the island of 19.5 million people.

During Wednesday's workshop organised by the IOM, he added, youngsters had spoken to members of the Colombo-based Business Development Centre as well as other government officials on how to find jobs and training. AFP