Eritrean refugees protest in front of the US embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel (25 Nov 2011) demanding protection of human rights on way to Israel via Sinai desert, Egypt. Photo by: Oren Ziv/ Activestills.org (used with permission)
About 30,000 people have been trafficked to Sinai, Egypt, over the last five years. Cairo-based journalist Bel Trew tweets from a Press conference on the matter, to shed light on “a hugely under-reported issue.”
She tweets:
At a press conference for human trafficking in the #Sinai : a hugely under reported issue #egypt
— Bel Trew – بل ترو (@Beltrew) December 4, 2013
Bel Trew explains:
“Since June 30, Sinai has become more unstable and made a huge impact on human trafficking in the Sinai” #egypt — Bel Trew – بل ترو (@Beltrew) December 4, 2013
And then provides staggering figures:
Between 25,000 and 30,000 people have been trafficked to the Sinai between 2009 and 2013 #egypt
— Bel Trew – بل ترو (@Beltrew) December 4, 2013
Out of those people trafficked, 95 per cent are from Eritria:
95% of those trafficked are Eritrean, due to many youth fleeing military service, exodus from Eritrea,human rights situation #Sinai — Bel Trew – بل ترو (@Beltrew) December 4, 2013
In a series of tweets, Trew provides a horrific insight to what those trafficked go through:
#Trafficking victims supplied w/ phones by traffickers to call home, they're often tortured at same time to push family to pay more quickly
— Bel Trew – بل ترو (@Beltrew) December 4, 2013
#trafficking has serious consequences in Eritera. Ransom collection leads to extreme poverty in these already impoverished areas #egypt — Bel Trew – بل ترو (@Beltrew) December 4, 2013
#trafficking victims are hung,electrocuted, body parts cut, bottles melted on their skin, forced to rape other victims, raped by traffickers
— Bel Trew – بل ترو (@Beltrew) December 4, 2013
Female #trafficking victims often leave the #Sinai torture houses pregnant after being raped multiple times. — Bel Trew – بل ترو (@Beltrew) December 4, 2013
She provides a chilling testimony of one refugee:
Just heard testimony of 1 #Trafficking victim, born 1993, he says he was forced to rape other victims,burnt with iron bars…
— Bel Trew – بل ترو (@Beltrew) December 4, 2013
#trafficking victim relates how 1 friend was burnt badly on head and body, insects starting living in the wounds and he died. — Bel Trew – بل ترو (@Beltrew) December 4, 2013
Victim of #trafficking “they beat us with scissors, electrocuted me on tongue & penis. Forced us to rape each other. Burnt me on my abdomen”
— Bel Trew – بل ترو (@Beltrew) December 4, 2013
Victim of #trafficking “they left the bodies of my 2 dead friends in the store with us for 2 days, then fed the bodies to the dogs” #Sinai — Bel Trew – بل ترو (@Beltrew) December 4, 2013
And this is not all. Trew adds:
Refugees who escape #trafficking often detained by Egyptian or Israeli authorities,imprisoned then forced to pay their own deportation fees
— Bel Trew – بل ترو (@Beltrew) December 4, 2013
#Trafficking victims are still threatened by their traffickers, when they escape to Cairo, who are in the capital — Bel Trew – بل ترو (@Beltrew) December 4, 2013
Further reading:
Jadaliyya: Human Trafficking in the Sinai: Refugees Between Life and Death
Spiegel Online: Imprisoned, Tortured, Killed: Human Trafficking Thrives on Sinai Peninsula
Sign the Petition:
Take Action to Stop Human Trafficking in Sinai
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