Poor economy in Syrian Kurdistan leads to rise in underage workers

"Today’s economic conditions in Rojava are poor. Most adults have gone to fight in the war, and others have left the country to move abroad. Only children are left."

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Dozens of children work as automobile mechanics at shops across the Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava) town of Qamishlo as the number of underage workers continues to increase in the region.

Each child has a unique story of their own, with most having sacrificed their education to provide financially for their families.

“I’m an automobile electrician. I work from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. every day. I work because my family needs money. I left school to help provide for my family,” one child worker told Kurdistan 24.

These children often work an average of 12 hours per day for as little as USD 30 each month.

Employers say the shortage of employees due to the civil war in Syria, the emergence of the so-called Islamic State, and the migration of civilians the conflict has caused led to a rise in child laborers.

“Today’s economic conditions in Rojava are poor. Most adults have gone to fight in the war, and others have left the country to move abroad,” one employer told Kurdistan 24.

“Only children are left, and we are forced to employ them. Most of these children have a hard time learning the trade [of automotive mechanics], but we have no choice, we need them.”

Organizations dedicated to protecting children’s rights, especially those related to the exploitation of child labor, like the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Save the Children, say hundreds of youth under the age of 15 are being employed across parts of Rojava.

According to the Universal Declaration of the Rights of the Child, children “should not be employed before reaching an appropriate age and should not be allowed to take on a profession that harms their physical, mental, or moral development and health, or hinders their education.”

(Additional reporting by Lava Assad)