We live in a time in which war & international hostilities are becoming the norm. The Russian attack on Ukraine, and now the escalating war between Israel and HAMAS, are creating global waves of fear, animosity, and suffering, causing war-torn peoples to scatter in every direction in search of asylum. Political leaders from local, national, and international platforms have become consumed with defending borders from bombs and refugees, and xenophobia rules the day. In this socio-political reality, in which the exploitation of vulnerable human beings is becoming a worldwide standard, what is the fate of human trafficking victims? Recently, the United States Institute of Peace reported that the humanitarian crisis caused by Russia's war in Ukraine is rapidly turning into a human trafficking crisis in which women and children, who make up the majority of the refugees fleeing the war, are being exploited. Further, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield told the U.N. Security Council that "it is on Russia to stop rape, violence, and atrocities from within its ranks." As of 2020, the UN estimates that over 2 billion people live in conflict-affected countries, and as of 2023, the World Economic Forum estimates that 339 million largely war-torn people need humanitarian assistance. More vulnerable, exploitable communities are created by war, as a lack of food, water, & shelter creates vulnerability for families stuck in areas of conflict or attempting to flee from those areas. Evidence shows that because war ravages communities without prejudice, even those who once had economic, familial, and socio-cultural protections are at risk of being trafficked. These risks dramatically increase among those marginalized because of race or gender-based inequities. This presentation will focus on the intersectionality of war & human trafficking, as well as the mental health effects on refugees forced to seek asylum.