FAIRFIELD, Conn., July 1, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The conflict
and humanitarian crisis in Syria
are pushing an increasing number of children into exploitation in
the labor market, and much more needs to be done to reverse the
trend, according to a new report released by Save the Children and
UNICEF.
The report shows that inside Syria, children are now contributing to the
family income in more than three quarters of surveyed
households.[1] In Jordan, close to half of all Syrian refugee
children are now the joint or sole family breadwinners in surveyed
households, while in some parts of Lebanon, children as young as six years old
are reportedly working.[2]
The most vulnerable of all working children are those involved
in armed conflict, commercial sexual exploitation and illicit
activities, including organized begging and child trafficking.
"The Syria crisis has
dramatically reduced family livelihood opportunities and
impoverished millions of households in the region, resulting in
child labor reaching critical levels," said Dr. Roger Hearn, Regional Director for Save the
Children in the Middle East and
Eurasia.
"As families become increasingly desperate, children are working
primarily for their survival. Whether in Syria or neighboring countries, they are
becoming main economic players."
The report finds that a spiralling number of children are
employed in harmful working conditions, risking serious damage to
their health and well-being.
"Child labor hinders children's growth and development as they
toil for long hours with little pay, often in extremely hazardous
and unhealthy environments," said Dr. Peter
Salama, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa.
"Carrying heavy loads, being exposed to pesticides and toxic
chemicals, and working long hours – these are just some of the
hazards working children face every day around the region."
Three out of four working children surveyed in Jordan's vast Za'atari refugee camp have
reported health problems at work, according to the
report.[3] A further 22 percent of children
casually employed in the agricultural sector in Mafraq and the
Jordan Valley have also been injured while
working.[4]
Moreover, children who work are more likely to drop out of
school – adding to fears of a "lost generation" of Syrian
children.
UNICEF and Save the Children call on partners and champions of
the No Lost Generation Initiative, the wider international
community, host governments, and civil society to undertake a
series of measures to address child labour inside Syria and in countries affected by the
humanitarian crisis.
- Improve access to livelihoods including through making more
funding available for income-generating activities
- Provide quality and safe education for all children impacted by
the crisis
- Prioritize ending the worst forms of child labor
- Invest in strengthening national and community-based child
protection systems and services
"Syria's children are paying a
heavy price for the world's failure to put an end to the conflict,"
the report concludes.
Save the Children gives children in the United States and around the world a
healthy start, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm.
We invest in childhood — every day, in times of crisis and for our
future. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
Related Links
Save the Children
Children of Syria
PDF -
http://origin-qps.onstreammedia.com/origin/multivu_archive/ENR/227623-Save_the_Children_UNICEF_new_report_CHILD_LABOR.pdf
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Media Contact:
Francine
Uenuma, fuenuma@savechildren.org, (202) 450-9153
[1] CPWG, Syria Child Protection Assessment,
2013
[2] A rapid assessment on child labour in Lebanon p. 37
http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---arabstates/---ro-beirut/documents/genericdocument/wcms_210579.pdf
[3] UNICEF and SCI, 2014, Baseline Assessment of
Child Labour among Syrian Refugees in Za'atari Refugee Camp
Jordan.
[4] ILO, 'Rapid assessment on child
labour in the agricultural sector in Mafraq and the Jordan Valley' (Ghor), June
2012-February 2014, p. 52
[5]
http://data.unhcr.org/syrianrefugees/regional.php
[6] SC: Futures under
threat
[7]
http://scpr-syria.org/att/SCPR_Alienation_Violence_Report_2014_EN.pdf
[8] UNHCR
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SOURCE Save the Children