Labor in the absence of censorship in north and east of Syria… children as men in worry
Labor in the absence of censorship in north and east of Syria… children as men in worry
During the last few years of Syrian crisis that has been going on since 2011, child labor spread significantly among Syrian society due to negative effects of the war on Syrian society in general and on children in particular.
Streets of Al-Hassaka city in northern Syria is part of child labor phenomenon, the negative effects on children particularly and on society generally in terms of spreading illiteracy and underdevelopment.
The matter of child labor and exploiting them in jobs which aren’t suitable with their physiological and psychological nature is widespread. It is known that several international agreements criminalized economic exploitation.
Ink on paper
29th article in Charter of Social Contract of Democratic Self-Administration in north and east of Syria includes childhood protection, child labor prevention, exploitation, physical and psychological torture and early marriage.
These laws remain ink on paper in the absence of actual application of laws concerned child labor that is mentioned in the Charter of Social Contract.
Child labor phenomenon is widespread in industrial city and includes refugees from Deir Ez-Zour and Raqqa as well as children from Al-Hassaka.
Sami Sa’ad Al-Muhammad (31 years old) a worker in electricity workshop in the industrial city in Al-Hassaka stated to North Press that: “Many parents send their children to work in the industrial city to learn a profession and to earn some money due to the poverty that a wide section of society in the city is suffering from.”
Reasons
Cultural level of the society and its lack of awareness of education benefits as well as absence of censorship for compulsory education by responsible authorities attributes to the spread of child labor significantly as well as poverty, wars and crises.
Abdul-Aziz Muhammad Al-Khalifa (15 years old) from Goweran district in Al-Hassaka who works at a car wash said to North Press that he left school at 7th class because of his financial status where he earns 1000 SYP per day to fend for his 15-member family and to help his father who works as a taxi motorcyclist.
Negative effects
Negative effects of economically exploited child includes physical growth and development where the child’s health is affected by organic consistency, strength and vision.
The child is also affected by education directly because he loses his education abilities, skills acquisition and creativity weakening that affects negatively and significantly on society.
Despite the existence of several local and international organizations concerned with childhood protection in north and east areas in Syria, child labor phenomenon increasing significantly in light of the living of tens of thousands of Syrian refugees in those areas.
Al-Hassaka -Jindar Abdulqader – NPA