JUBA, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan must set up mechanisms to combat forms of modern slavery such as human trafficking and smuggling, the United Nations migration agency said on the International Migrants Day on Tuesday.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM), said the nation is among countries with high rates of modern slavery practices, and that efforts must be put in place to address the problem.

"The lack of legal and safe path ways in today's world is a major contributor to trafficking and migrants smuggling. And in crisis situation, trafficking remains largely overlooked and difficult to identify," said Jean-Philippe Chauzy, IOM's chief of mission in South Sudan.

He said countries in conflict situations like South Sudan become vulnerable to forms of modern slavery as legal, social and economic systems are disrupted, hence creating opportunities for persons trafficking and smuggling to flourish.

"The vulnerability of communities to trafficking and exploitation exponentially increases when livelihoods, previously existing support networks, protection of rule of law and other fundamental social and economic systems are disrupted. The same factors also foster an environment conducive to smuggling," Chauzy said.

According to data from the Global Slavery Index 2018, South Sudan was ranked seventh out of 163 countries in terms of high prevalence of modern slavery.

Isaac Munyae, IOM's migration management program coordinator in South Sudan, said South Sudan was ranked poorly in the global slavery index partly because of high prevalence of recruitment of child soldiers by armed groups.

About 19,000 child soldiers are believed to be currently associated with armed groups in South Sudan, according to the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund. Enditem

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