Nearly 15,000 children involved in hard labor in Baghlan

PUL-I-KHUMRI (Pajhwok): According to a new survey, 14,865 children in northern Baghlan province are engaged in hard labor that has deprived them of education, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) say.

Sayed Kabir Sadat, the provincial head of UNICEF office, told Pajhwok Afghan News on Saturday that the survey was conducted recently in Baghlan province.

Sadat urged the government and aid organizations to work for the future of these children.

He added their survey showed a total of 14,865 children were involved in hard labor in the provincial capital, Pul-i-Khumri, and all districts of the province and they did not go to school.

Haroon, a 10-year-old boy who runs a handcart, told Pajhwok that his father had passed away and he was responsible to work and feed his family of eight. “I have to work to feed my family, I have no other option”, he added.

Haroon daily earns only 150 afghanis, “I cannot go to school, if someone helps then there will be an opportunity to pursue study.”

Nasratullah Parsa, the head of the provincial Public Works department, told Pajhwok there are thousands of child laborers in Baghlan province.

“We have shared the figures about the number of child beggars and child laborers with some welfare organizations to help and facilitate their education,” Parsa said.

The office of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has also expressed concern over the current situation of children in Afghanistan.

Aw/ma

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