Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) on Tuesday said that there are serious concerns about the lives of between 300,000 and 500,000 Afghan children employed as laborers or work on the streets.
 
The AIHRC stated that the issue of child labor affects hundreds of thousands of children who are deprived of a formal education.  
 
“We have suggested the Afghan government increase the social security for supporting children,” CEO of the AIHRC Musa Mahmoudi said.
 
The Afghan government and international children rights groups have failed to address the plight of these children, the AIHRC said.
 
Faisal, 13, is an Afghan child who struggles to earn a living on the streets. In order to support his five-member family, who polishes shoes.  
 
“I work for 50 to 100 Afs a day and take some bread home,” said Faisal.
 
Like Faisal, another child, Haseeb, also has to work for a living. He works at a metalwork shop alongside his brother and father.
 
Haseeb’s father argues that teaching his child metalwork skills is more beneficial – opposed to working somewhere else. However, the father does not know about any possible impact metalwork could have on the boy’s health.   
 
“I work to earn some money,” said Haseeb.
 
Ministry of Labour,Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled (MoLSAMD) claims that the number of street children has decreased in the country.
 
MoLSAMD said of the 30-odd million people in the country, children represented about 50 percent. However, more than 3.5 million of these children were in need of help. They said more than one million of these children are subjected to manual labor in one form or another.