Feature: Child labor in Iraq on rise after years of war, instability – Xinhua
A boy pulls a cart loaded with goods in al-Rasafi Square in central Baghdad, Iraq, on Aug. 29, 2022. (Xinhua/Khalil Dawood)
BAGHDAD, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- On a hot summer day in downtown Baghdad when the temperature reached 45 degrees Celsius, Ahmed Saad, 10, stood on the sidewalk of the al-Rasheed Street, selling bottled water and small bags of ice cubes to passers-by and nearby shop-owners.
Saad wakes up every morning in the poor al-Fadhil neighborhood in the Iraqi capital to work to earn money for his family.
It is not uncommon to see underage girls and boys, such as Saad, selling goods in Baghdad's crowded streets and markets, pushing carts to deliver goods, or unloading the trucks.
This is just part of the rising child labor problem in the war-torn Iraq, where the number of children forced to work is increasing due to the decline in Iraqi families' incomes caused by the political chaos and economic woes.
"We are a five-member family and live in a room rented in an old house. I have to help my father, who is a daily wage worker. I gain, sometimes 5,000 Iraqi dinars (about four U.S. dollars)," Saad told Xinhua.
"I left school in the 3rd grade and went to work to help my father because his income is not enough for the family," he said sadly.
Muthanna Ibrahim, 12, usually works in the nearby al-Shorja market in central Baghdad, pushing carts to deliver goods unloaded from trucks parked on the al-Rasafi Square to the wholesale stores.
He has been working to help his mother to support the six-member family, including four younger brothers, since his father died of cancer two years ago.
"The work here is hard, but what should I do? I have to help my mother, who bakes bread from morning to evening, to feed my younger brothers and help them complete their studies," Ibrahim told Xinhua.
Many Iraqi families choose one of their sons, usually the eldest son like Ibrahim, to quit school to work so that his younger brothers could complete school studies for a better future.
Mohammed al-Qaragholi, a retired engineer, told Xinhua that child labor is rejected because it deprives the children of education and increases their risk of exposure to dangers, including exploitation by drug and terrorist gangs.
"The reason for child labor is that our country has witnessed wars, displacement, and sectarianism. All these problems have become a pressure factor on families. The government must help these people and put them on the right path," al-Qaragholi explained.
He warned that working children face many risks, including the spread of drugs, urging the government to focus on scaling up social protection and increasing investments in public services such as education, health and child protection.
Ali al-Obaidi, a lawyer, told Xinhua that the Iraqi labor law sets a minimum working age of 15, and prohibits children from dropping out of school and engaging in activities that degrade their dignity.
"The government must pay very, very much attention to this issue (child labor) because the building of the nation depends on building the next generation. If one (of these children) is in the street, he will be subject to harassment and vulnerable to being exploited in terrorist operations," al-Obaidi said.
He slammed the lack of public awareness and the government's tolerance for the rise in child labor in Iraq, which has never restored normal life since the U.S. invasion in 2003 that opened the Pandora's box of chaos, violence, and sufferings for the Iraqi people.
In June, the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Iraq said in a statement that "children make up the majority of 4.5 million Iraqis who are at risk of poverty due to the impact of conflict and COVID-19, with one in two children (48.8 percent) facing a high risk of multiple deprivations in education, health, living conditions, and financial security."
"Child labor has been on the rise in Iraq in recent years due to armed conflict, displacement, socio-economic challenges, and the pandemic; children were moved to remote learning, increasing the risk of dropping out of school and entering the workforce," the statement said.
It warned that depriving children of their childhood and education would expose them to the risks of serious hazards, illness and exploitations.
A boy loads goods on a cart at al-Rasafi Square in central Baghdad, Iraq, on Aug. 29, 2022. (Xinhua/Khalil Dawood)
A boy pushes a cart loaded with goods at al-Rasafi Square in central Baghdad, Iraq, on Aug. 29, 2022. (Xinhua/Khalil Dawood)
A boy sells pieces of ice at a market in central Baghdad, Iraq, on Aug. 29, 2022. (Xinhua/Khalil Dawood)
Go here to see the original:
Feature: Child labor in Iraq on rise after years of war, instability - Xinhua
- Drone Strikes in Northern Iraq: A Geopolitical Gamble with Oil and Defense - AInvest - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- How does the PKKs disarmament affect Turkey, Syria and Iraq? - The Conversation - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Oilfields in northern Iraq halt operations following drone attacks - Iraqi News - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- U.S. Firm Steps Up As Iraq Fast-Tracks New Floating LNG Terminal - Crude Oil Prices Today | OilPrice.com - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- "Our goal is to make microgreens accessible to every household in Iraq" - Vertical Farm Daily - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Kurdish separatist fighters in Iraq begin laying down weapons as part of peace process with Turkey - AP News - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Several oil fields shut in Iraq's KRG after 3rd drone strike this week | Daily Sabah - Daily Sabah - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Drone strikes target three oil fields in northern Iraq - Latest news from Azerbaijan - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Kurdish PKK militants begin handing over weapons in cave in Iraq - NBC News - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Trkiyes exports to neighbors rise as Iraq leads with $5 billion trade - Trkiye Today - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Iraq achieves self-sufficiency in wheat for third year in a row - Iraqi News - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Former Harrier pilot who served in Iraq appointed RAF chief - The Telegraph - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- In Iraq, drought threatens water supply and ancient heritage - France 24 - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Iraq seeks to foster ties with Islamic Azad University in emerging technologies - Tehran Times - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Azerbaijan and Iraq expand legal cooperation through high-level judicial talks [PHOTOS] - AzerNews - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Kurdish PKK militants burn weapons in Iraq to launch disarmament - Reuters - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- Iran is losing its stranglehold over Iraq - The Economist - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- Erdoan calls for Turkish-Kurdish-Arab alliance, as PKK holds disarmament ceremony in Iraq - World Socialist Web Site - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- Kurdish separatist fighters in Iraq begin laying down weapons as part of peace process with Turkey - ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- Iraq to establish first seed bank in the region - Iraqi News - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- In a ceremony Friday in Iraq members of the Kurdish rebel group PKK destroyed their weapons - IslanderNews.com - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- Kurdish PKK fighters burn their weapons at disarmament ceremony in Iraq - The Times of Israel - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- Russia, Myanmar, Somalia, Iraq, Lebanon, and Venezuela Designated Extreme Risk Zone as US Urges Citizens to Cancel All Travel Plans This Summer: Heres... - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- PKK terrorists begin disarming in Iraq as 1st step toward dissolution | Daily Sabah - Daily Sabah - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- Kurdish PKK militants begin handing over weapons in northern Iraq - The Arab Weekly - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- Russia 1, Iraq 2, Saudi Arabia 3..., despite threats from US, India buying huge amount of oil from..., which - India.Com - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- Stop Analogizing Iraq in 2003 to Iran in 2025 - RealClearDefense - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- PKK fighters pile up their weapons in arms amnesty in Northern Iraq - CNN - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Leveraging Irans Defeat to Strengthen U.S.-Iraq Security Relations - The Washington Institute - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- PKK militants in Iraq begin laying down arms as part of peace process with Turkey - MSN - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Explosive drone downed near Kurdish Peshmerga forces in Iraq's Kirkuk province - The Jerusalem Post - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Kurdish PKK militants burn their weapons at symbolic ceremony in Iraq - Stockholm Center for Freedom - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Kurdish separatist fighters in Iraq begin laying down weapons as part of peace process with Turkey - Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Kurdish separatist fighters in Iraq begin laying down weapons as part of peace process with Turkey - PinalCentral.com - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- PKK fighters in Iraq burn weapons in disarming ceremony - Yahoo - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Explosive drone downed near military base in northern Iraq - Latest news from Azerbaijan - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Kurdish Separatist Fighters in Iraq Begin Laying Down Weapons as Part of Peace Process with Turkey - The National Herald - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Kurdish separatist fighters in Iraq begin laying down weapons as part of peace process with Turkey - Corsicana Daily Sun - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Historic Moment as PKK Members Begin Disarming in Northern Iraq - tovima.com - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Trump announces tariffs on six more countries including Philippines and Iraq - The Indian Express - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Trump announces new tariffs including for Iraq, Brazil and the Philippines - Al Jazeera - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Twelve Turkish soldiers killed by gas exposure during cave search in Iraq - Reuters - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- PKK Disarmament to Take a Few Months in Iraq, Turkey Ruling Party Says - U.S. News & World Report - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- America and Israels plan to destroy Iraq, Syria and Iran set the entire Middle East on fire - Analyst News - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Iraq: Protecting womens rights, reforming law - The Lutheran World Federation - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Harsanyi: Trump learned the lessons of Iraq - The Detroit News - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- PKK disarmament to take a few months in Iraq, Turkey ruling party says - The Mighty 790 KFGO - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Trump hits Iraq with 30% tariffs as he releases 7 new letters - Global News - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Five Turkish soldiers killed by methane gas during northern Iraq cave search - France 24 - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Watch Trump Reveals New Batch of Tariffs From Iraq to Philippines - Bloomberg.com - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Trump slaps new tariffs on Sri Lanka, Iraq, 5 other countries with a warning: If you raise your - The Economic Times - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Iraq committed to ending Kurdistan salary deadlock - Shafaq News - - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Trump enforces new tariffs on Iraq, five other nations - Shafaq News - - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Iraq steers clear of Khor Abdullah crisis amid fears of Trumps reaction - The Arab Weekly - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Trump Slaps 30% Tariff On Iraq, Says Its Less Than What Is Needed - Stocktwits - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- From August 1, the United States will impose duties on imports from Algeria, Libya and Iraq. - - - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Kurdish PKK to hand over weapons in Iraq in peace process with Turkey - The Jerusalem Post - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Iraq Aims to Export Surplus Oil Products After Refinery Upgrades - Bloomberg - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- Why Iran's Shah declined Iraq's Saddam Hussein's bid to kill Khomenei - The Jerusalem Post - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- Iraq Lifts Oil Output by 80,000 bpd Across Three Key Fields - Crude Oil Prices Today | OilPrice.com - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- Trump learned the lessons of Iraq - Temple Daily Telegram - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- UN Special Representative for Iraq and Head of UNAMI, Dr. Mohamed Al Hassan, visits Karbala Governorate [EN/AR] - ReliefWeb - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- Turkey: Five soldiers killed by methane gas in Iraq cave search - The New Arab - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- I needed to leave Man United to grow: Zidane Iqbal on identity, Iraq and a new start in Utrecht - thenationalnews.com - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- Turkeys water policies leave Iraq parched and poised for unrest - The Arab Weekly - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- The Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces is behind the drone attacks on Iraq - Yahoo - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Iraq, But Funny at Lookingglass Theatre | Weve Got Your Ticket - CBS News - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Turkey gives drought-stricken Iraq more water in boost to PM Sudani - AL-Monitor - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Is Kurdish Protection of Assyrians in North Iraq a Myth? - Assyrian International News Agency - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Eight OPEC+ alliance members including Iraq move toward output hike - Iraqi News - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Kurdish fighters in northern Iraq to hand over weapons in first step toward disarmament - AP News - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- News - Reconstruction Firms Hear Plan for Rebuilding Southern Iraq - DVIDS - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- News - Gates Vows to Focus on Iraq, Troop Welfare if Confirmed - DVIDS - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- News - Corps' Command Change Marks Year Of Iraq Transition - DVIDS - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- News - Iraqi Government Prepares to Take Control of Sons of Iraq Program - DVIDS - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- News - Top NCOs Inform Soldiers in Iraq of Wartime Training Changes - DVIDS - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Operation New Town Molds Trust in Iraq - DVIDS - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- News - On the Ground: Forces Build Cooperation, Security in Iraq - DVIDS - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- News - Sheik Meeting Leads to Information on al Qaeda in Iraq - DVIDS - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- News - On the Ground: U.S. Forces Build Security at Sea, On Land in Iraq - DVIDS - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]