• Ministry plans survey to identify risks and develop interventions

The Women and Child Affairs Ministry has identified concerns over alleged prostitution, child trafficking, drug-related activities and other forms of exploitation in some apartment complexes where families from shanties were relocated to make way for development projects.

Speaking to The Daily Morning, Ministry Secretary Tharangani Wickramasinghe said overcrowding, low levels of education and limited household incomes had contributed to social and economic problems in some communities.

“Various illegal activities are taking place in these flats. Most of the children don’t attend school beyond Grade Eight. We have identified many problems, including children living with human immunodeficiency virus and parents selling their children. Prostitution is also taking place when parents cannot afford their expenses,” she said.

Wickramasinghe said some housing units allocated to a single family were occupied by two or three families, increasing the pressure on households with limited incomes. She also identified drug-related activities in areas such as Maradana and Borella, warning that children born into such circumstances were vulnerable from an early age.

The Ministry plans to conduct a survey to identify the problems and develop targeted interventions, with the programme expected to begin in Kirulapone.

“We have developed a questionnaire, and women are the main focus of these programmes. We already conduct awareness programmes. Through the data that they provide, we will be able to identify the issues and develop solutions accordingly,” she said.

Wickramasinghe said the Ministry lacked a comprehensive database on the affected communities and relied mainly on complaints received through the 1929 and 1938 hotlines.

She added that reaching residents and securing their participation in surveys remained difficult, despite the Ministry having legal provisions to enter the premises.

“If we approach them directly and ask about these issues, they don’t provide us with data,” she said, noting that officials had to adopt different approaches to engage residents.

The Ministry cannot address the problems alone and is receiving support from a non-governmental organisation to implement the programmes, she said.

Wickramasinghe also raised concerns that child protection efforts focusing primarily on girls could leave boys vulnerable and comparatively neglected. The planned data-driven programme would examine measures to address this gap as well, she added.