Herat Child Laborers Exposed to Sexual Abuse: Local Authorities

The child laborers in the western Herat province are being exposed to sexual abuse and hard works by some individuals and profiteers, said local authorities of Human Rights Commission in the province.

In addition to the sexual abuse, some children have even been smuggled by human traffickers to foreign countries, said the local authorities of Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) in Herat Province.

” Female children are often begging during the night in busy areas of the city who are occasionally being subjected to sexual abuse. The government has yet to address the issue”, Abdulqadir Rahimi, the regional director of AIHRC in Herat said to Ariana News.

He further noted that they had a “case” in which children were taken to Arabian countries just apparently for camel riding pleasures and brought back to Afghanistan.

On the other hand, civil activists blamed the government and children supporting organizations of negligence regarding protecting children’s basic rights and warned from worsening situation of child laborers in the future.

Meanwhile, the Labor and Social Affairs Directorate of Herat province said that there are nearly 10 thousands child laborers who are working along the streets in the province.

The authorities also noted that no budget was dedicated by the central government to address the issue in Herat province.