UN warns coronavirus puts millions of children at risk of underage labour

The coronavirus pandemic has put millions of children at risk of being pushed into underage labor, reversing two decades of work to combat the practice and potentially marking the first rise in child labor since 2000, the United Nations warned on Friday, Reuters reports.

As the pandemic pummels the global economy, pushing millions of people into poverty, families may be under pressure to put their children to work for survival, the U.N. said, marking the World Day Against Child Labour.

"As the pandemic wreaks havoc on family incomes, without support, many could resort to child labour," said Guy Ryder, director-general of the International Labour Organization (ILO), a U.N. agency, in a statement.

"Social protection is vital in times of crisis, as it provides assistance to those who are most vulnerable."

Due to global shutdowns, the world economy is forecast to shrink 3.2% this year, according to a Reuters poll of more than 250 economists.

Forecasts for global economic growth had tended to range from 2.3% to 3.6% before the pandemic struck.

The number of child laborers worldwide has dropped significantly to 152 million children from 246 million in 2000, according to the ILO.

To prevent a rise in exploitation, the U.N. called upon governments to integrate child labour concerns into broader pieces of legislation, including policy on education, labour markets and human rights protections.

Some countries have begun to do so.

News.Az 

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