Human traffickers are preying on child victims of the South Asian earthquake, experts say yesterday. It is thought they have reached the remote parts ok Pakistan held Kashmir and taken orphaned children, or those separated from their families, from hospitals and medial centres.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said it was too soon to asses the scale of the problem but it was ‘responding with concern’.

Since the quake hit 11 days ago, thousands of children’s have lost their families. More then 1,000 were evacuated from Kashmir to medical care. One report said two men me tried to take a 16 year old girl from a hospital claiming to be her uncles. Guards are now monitoring units where orphans are kept. UNICEF said the risk of exploitation was high in situations such as earthquake. To quell fears, prime minister Shaukat Aziz said orphans would be looked after by the government and no non-relatives would be allowed to adopt.

Some people want to adopt teenagers to use them as babysitters and home helps. But trafficked children are also used as slave labours or sold into sex industry.

Similar stories emerged after last year’s Boxing Day Tsunami. Dr Anjum Javed, of the children’s ward at Pakistan’s institute of medial Sciences in Islamabad, said: ‘The government is concerned. There was chaos at first, with many people running about, but now we are checking everyone.

UN officials say the death toll from the quake has passed 54,000. But they estimate that, with winter approaching and lack of food and housing, the toll could reach half a million.

London Metro 19/10/05

"It should be noted reports have come in from brothers working with Islamic charities in around Pakistan that the Indian troops (hindus) have been caught trafficking Muslim children, and the UN is no angel with the UNICF in these situations either, may Allah (swt) safeguard the kids."