Officials Sunday confirmed reports that scores of families, including children, are working as slaves at a brick-making company in Surkh Rod district in Nangarhar province.

Officials at the Nangarhar Directorate of Labor, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled said that programs are being developed to prevent brick producing plants from using child labor.

Families from Sorkh Rod district are forced into slave labor in return for loans made to them by the owners of brick manufacturing plants.

Often entire families, including children, are forced to work to pay off these loans. As a result the children are taken out of school.

"We are poor and we owe money, that is why we have to come to work from early morning to night. This work is hard but we need to study to become police or doctors in the future," says Laila, one of the child laborers.

"We come from morning to evening and work as laborers to pay our debts" says Khadija, another child laborer.

One father told how he owed 100,000 AFN and was forced to put his children to work to help pay back the loan.

"I owe 100,000 AFN and my children along with female family members are working together to repay our loan and finish it off," says Ahmadullah.

A number of Nangarhar provincial council members confirm the harsh working conditions imposed on some residents of Sorkh Rod district and have asked for government intervention.

"Many families are captives, we want government to save the families from captivity," says Obaidullah Shinwari, member of Nangahar provincial council.

Directorate of Labor, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled of Nangarhar has said that they have presented a possible solution to Kabul in regards to this.

"We have programs this year to help the poor families," says Fazel Hady Fazelzai, Director of Labor, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled.

Meanwhile, the Independent Human Rights Commission in eastern Afghanistan has shown concern over child labor.

"Children have the right to play and get education, and the government of Afghanistan must ensure the rights of children," says Abdul Hakeem Naseri, Regional Office at the Independent Human Right Commission of Afghanistan.

In addition to Sorkh Rod district, child labor practices can also be found in parts of Jalalabad city. Residents here have also asked government to intervene.