UNITED NATIONS - The United Nations on Monday urged protection of children in conflicts and disasters, making a strong call for the end of the scourge. The United Nations International Labor Organization (ILO) warns children in areas affected by conflicts and disasters are among the most vulnerable, especially as children trapped in crisis risk falling prey to trafficking or being forced into hazardous work, on the World Day Against Child Labor. “All children have the right to be protected from child labor,” ILO Director-General Guy Ryder said in a statement on the World Day. “Yet, around the world, there are still 168 million children in child labor. Eighty-five million of them are engaged in hazardous work,” he added.
A significant number of the children are undertaking dangerous work, living in areas affected by conflicts and disasters and they are the focus of the 2017 Commemoration of the World Day, marked annually on June 12.
As the world strives to achieve the elimination of child labor by 2025, the UN underlines that conflicts and disasters have a devastating impact on people’s lives.
They kill, maim, injure and force people to flee their homes; destroy livelihoods, push people into poverty and starvation, and trap many in situations without basic safeguard for their rights. (Xinhua)