It is learnt that the eastern hilly districts of Panchthar and Ilam are at high risk in terms of girls trafficking. This fact came to light after a Maiti Nepal report was made public in Phidim of Panchthar. According to the report, 121 women were rescued while being trafficked from the district in 2015 whereas the number has already reached 85 in 2016. Chilingdin, Pauwasartaap, Ranitar, Embung, Oyam and Yangnam, among other VDCs, are said to be the worst-hit in the district. Maiti Nepal Ilam contact officer Hom Dhakal said that some of the girls’ parents were also involved with the racketeers. He also announced that at least five Nepali girls are said to have been traded on a daily basis. The girls enter Indian territory and reach Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkatta and Siliguri and fly to gulf destinations such as Qatar, Kuwait, Dubai, Bahrain and Oman. “It is not only young girls, but also seven to eight-year-old minor girls and even 50-year-old women have been trafficked,” claimed the report. Some of them are stranded after their organs, including kidney and eyes are taken. DSP Krishna Prasad Koirala said though a significant number of incidents of trafficking has been made public, only a negligible number of complaints have been filed at the office. According to him, only two cases were filed at the office in 2013 and 2015 respectively. Women Development Officer Sharmila Khapung, Bhupendra Bhandari of Nepal Red Cross, among others, shed light on the importance of unity to overcome this great social evil.