U.N. officials believed the ship could contain 100 to 250 children destined for slavery from Benin and other African countries. They are very likely in unsanitary circumstances. We don't know about food. The agency set up health facilities at Cotonou's harbor to receive the children if they arrive. Despite international efforts, child trafficking remains a serious problem in West and Central Africa.
Girls often end up as domestic workers.
Conditions are harsh. The firm was contracted to provide docking and other services for the ship. Benin people are very poor and need jobs. They see places like Gabon as an El Dorado. Benin is one of the world's poorest nations, while Gabon, a thinly populated, oil-producing nation to the southeast, is relatively wealthy by African standards.