Sharjah’s SQF leads global reform to protect children from exploitation

Sharjah: The Khalid bin Sultan Al Qasimi Humanitarian Foundation (KSQF) has intensified its efforts to confront a growing global crisis: the surge in child trafficking and exploitation. The was announced on the eve of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons.

Post-pandemic data reveal a 31% increase in detected child trafficking victims, while nearly 138 million children remain trapped in child labour worldwide, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO) and UNICEF.

KSQF responds with a bold, systemic approach aimed at breaking cycles of harm by addressing the root causes of exploitation including displacement, poverty, and gender inequality while embedding child protection within education, health, and social systems.

KSQF understands that today’s challenges are interconnected. Displacement from climate disasters leads to school dropouts, increasing children’s vulnerability to trafficking. Conflict and poverty push children into labour and criminal networks, while gender inequality compounds these risks, especially for girls vulnerable to sexual exploitation and boys coerced into armed groups or illicit work.

The foundation’s strategy aligns with three United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

Lujan Mourad, Director of KSQF, said: “Protection is no longer just about rescue. It is about structural prevention. The foundation is implementing a comprehensive strategy encompassing three main pillars: advocacy programmes, safeguarding initiatives, and capacity building. This involves prevention, specifically community awareness and development programmes; support, focusing on caring for and safeguarding children in need; and partnerships, building a global network of collaborations.”

At the core of KSQF’s mission is the visionary leadership of Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife of the Ruler of Sharjah and Chairperson of the Foundation. A leading advocate for children’s rights in the region, Sheikha Jawaher has instilled a humanitarian philosophy that child protection is not charity but a duty of justice. Under her guidance, KSQF pursues sustainable, long-term reform that amplifies the voices of the vulnerable and addresses the root causes of exploitation.

KSQF recently launched groundbreaking projects in Zanzibar and Mexico aimed at protecting over 30,000 vulnerable children and their communities. Partnering with Save the Children International and Plan International, these initiatives confront gender-based violence, child exploitation, and the unique challenges facing migrant children.

In Zanzibar, support services for survivors of violence will directly assist 1,000 individuals and extend outreach to 10,000 more. In Mexico, the ‘Guardians of Children’ project will provide essential aid to 7,000 migrant children and adolescents, with an additional 15,000 benefiting indirectly through community awareness and capacity building.

KSQF emphasises sustainable, locally led solutions designed to build resilient protection systems and uphold children’s rights well into the future.

As the world observes this critical day, KSQF’s message is clear: child protection must shift from reactive response to proactive, systemic reform. The networks exploiting children are global and evolving; our efforts to combat them must be equally urgent, coordinated, and relentless.