Nepal moves to protect children from traffickers

Nepal banned children from traveling without parents or approved guardians yesterday in an unprecedented move to deter human traffickers who authorities fear are targeting vulnerable families after last month's devastating earthquake.

Hundreds of thousands of families lost their homes in Nepal after two large earthquakes struck on April 25 and May 12, killing more than 8,600 people and raising concerns among rights groups that trafficking rings in the region are taking advantage of the chaos.

Children under 16 would not be permitted to travel outside their home district without a parent or another adult approved by the district's Child Welfare Board, a senior official said.