Nearly 1.6 million or one in five children in Afghanistan are engaged in child labor, many of them working in hazardous conditions, according to UNICEF. Most of them earn less than one dollar per day.
According to reports, around 90% of Afghans lack enough food to eat, which is forcing many impoverished families to send their children to work. Instead of going to schools, these children are taking care of their siblings and supporting their family. Many are also forced to work due to unsafe migration, family separation, detentions, and injuries from unexploded ordinance.
While the US sanctions on Afghanistan continue, several governments and international donors have also withdrawn their assistance since the Taliban returned to power last year. The economic fallout of this has compounded the humanitarian crisis in the country. Studies on Afghan children, including children living and working on the streets, agree that their contribution to household income has become a key part of families incomes. They are often involved in begging, street vending, agricultural activities and manufacturing. Hazardous jobs include working in coal mines and brick kilns.
Children working in coal mines make between USD 3-8 per day, depending on how hazardous the task and how long they work. They could be engaged in jobs ranging from digging the coal to lining the brittle tunnel walls and loading trucks.
A survey by aid organizations of around 10,000 households concluded that the number of Afghan families with male heads of household reporting at least one child working rose from 13% in 2021 to 21% in 2022. For families with female heads of household, the figure increased from 19% to 29% in the same period.
Unsafe migration. Family separation. Detention. Injuries from unexploded ordinances. School dropout.
In Afghanistan, 1 in 5 children is engaged in child labour, often caused by one or more of these linked issues.
No matter the cause, UNICEF aims to #EndChildLabour in all forms. pic.twitter.com/Zlh9qSMvgL
— UNICEF Afghanistan (@UNICEFAfg) June 12, 2023
