Police arrested a 63-year-old Sri Lankan man for attempting to sell two children on 12 January, after their mother was killed by the tsunami and their home destroyed.

Within a few days of the tsunami that struck 12 countries in the Indian Ocean on 26 December, UNICEF, non-governmental organisations including ECPAT UK, and other agencies drew attention to the vulnerability of children to trafficking.

In response, the Indonesian Government banned children under 16 in Aceh province, Sumatra, the most devastated area, from leaving the country in an effort to protect them from child traffickers. The warning also prompted increased security around emergency relief camps.

According to activists, Medan in Aceh has long been an area from which children were trafficked for sexual exploitation, illegal adoption and forced labour. In the longer-term, adults and children whose livelihoods and communities have been devastated are at risk of trafficking and other exploitation.

In Tamil Nadu, India, one of the areas hit by the powerful wave, Anti-Slavery International's partner Peace Trust and dalit organisations have drawn attention to the plight of dalits ('untouchables') in the region. Even in these shared desperate circumstances, dalits are being discriminated against. They are being denied access to food and other emergency relief as well as access to camps.

Additionally, there have been delays with restoration of drinking water, road and other vital communication repairs in several dalit areas. Furthermore, dalits are being used to remove carcasses and debris, but are not being provided with protective clothing and masks, they reported.

It is vital that all people in need are given equal access to emergency relief and shelter and that dalits are protected from any discrimination.