KATHMANDU: With the poor interiors of Nepal devastated by earthquake, fear of human trafficking for child labour and prostitution has begun worrying authorities in the Himlayan republic and India. On Monday , SSB rescued four children from Raxaul border while they were being trafficked.

"We're verifying their antecedents. Although they say they're Indian we're checking with Nepal. Given the situation in Nepal, we fear an increase in human trafficking. We've alerted our intelligence wing and stepped up vigil," SSB DG BD Sharma told TOI.

In Nepal, authorities are equally worried."Village after village has been wiped out.Those living in the hills are very poor.

Several have lost earning members. We've information on many missing from villages.We can't yet say all of them are being trafficked. But we can't rule it out either," a Nepal army officer said. It's easier said than done given that the Nepal administration is overstretched with relief work. Much of it's being done by the Nepal army . Almost 90% of the army is engaged in rescue and relief.

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In several villages TOI visited, families don't have enough to eat. Men have ventured out to find work. Women fend for themselves and children. Given the desperate poverty in the villages, Nepal has for long been a hunting ground for traffickers, targeting children and women for forced labour and prostitution.

The Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP) compiled by the US state department rates Nepal as Tier 2, the explanation for which is, "The government doesn't fully comply with minimum standards for elimination of trafficking. However, it's making significant efforts to do so."

Sex trafficking is rampant within Nepal and to India, with as many as 5,000-10,000 women and girls trafficked to India each year.