Originally posted on July 14, 2016 by AFP —
“Afghanistan is failing to protect tens of thousands of children, some as young as five, from hazardous jobs that are prohibited by its own laws, a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report published Thursday said.
The 31-page report titled “They Bear All the Pain: Hazardous Child Labour in Afghanistan,” documents how child workers undertake dangerous jobs in Afghanistan’s carpet industry, as bonded labour in brick kilns, and as metal workers.
These jobs expose them to high risks of illness, injury and death, HRW said in a statement, and also compel many to leave school prematurely. Only half of children involved in child labour attend school, the report found.
“Thousands of Afghan children risk their health and safety every day to put food on the family table,” said Phelim Kine, deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch.
“The Afghan government needs to do a better job of protecting its children – and the country’s future – by enforcing the law prohibiting dangerous work for children.””
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HUMAN RIGHTS SOCIETY 