Child labor surges in Afghanistan amid economic crisis
KABUL, Afghanistan (MNTV) – Economic hardship is driving more children in Afghanistan into hard labor, with many working in grueling conditions instead of attending school.
In Kabul’s car repair shops, children handle heavy tools for long hours to support their families. Among them are Bilal and Usman, who work from dawn to dusk.
“We have economic problems. We ask the government to help us and provide us with education,” Bilal told TOLOnews.
Usman, who juggles work and school, added, “At 8 AM, I go to school. After school, I return to the shop to work and take something home. I earn 100 afghanis ($1.42) a day.”
Musa, another child laborer, shared the same struggle. “I work here from 8 AM to 4 PM to support my family,” he said. He is a seventh grader, but fears his education may not continue.
Experts warn that child labor has severe psychological effects. “One of the serious consequences is anxiety, which eventually leads to violence,” said university scholar Naveedullah Danishyar.
The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs claims efforts are underway to assist child laborers. “Many of these children were engaged in hard labor, but they have been accommodated in orphanages according to the ministry’s policies,” said ministry spokesperson Samiullah Ebrahimi.
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