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Child labour in Asia-Pacific region "alarming" - ILO

[Pakistan] Child labourer, Rwalpindi. IRIN
Working children are a very common sight in NWFP
    BANGKOK

    Forty-eight million children in the Asia Pacific region are involved in hazardous child labour - out of 115 million globally - according to a 10 June report by the International Labour Organization (ILO).



    "This is an alarmingly high number," Simrin Singh, ILO's senior specialist on child labour for East and Southeast Asia and the Pacific, told IRIN.



    Most are in agriculture, including fishing. Children's bodies absorb up to two times more toxic chemicals, such as pesticides, than adults with the same exposure, and are more likely to be injured or die due to workplace hazards, the report said.



    "The hidden nature of child labour in the informal economy means labour inspectors can't always reach it," Singh said, describing poverty as the primary "push factor".



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    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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