The number of Syrian children being forced to work has steadily increased, UNICEF and Save the Children warned Thursday in a snapshot taken as the Arab country's armed conflict enters in its fifth year.
Both aid agencies conducted a survey in host countries for Syrian refugees Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Kurdistan and conclude that children are now contributing to the family income in more than three-quarters of surveyed households.
The alarming numbers are part of the first comprehensive report on child labor among Syrian children across the region, which highlights that the current situation is creating a "lost generation" of Syrian children employed in “harmful working conditions,” risking serious damage to their health and well-being.
The report says most children in host countries work six or seven days a week earning between US$4-7 a day. Those who are more vulnerable are victims of sexual exploitation and other illicit activities, including organized begging and child trafficking.
The United Nations had previously said that over 4 million Syrian children have fled their country, with no prospect of returning home in the near future, and that poor living conditions as refugees hamper possibilities to restart their lives in exile.
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Meanwhile, it is estimated that more than 5.6 million children are currently exposed to the violence generated by the conflict that has killed more than 220,000 people and displaced around half of the population. Aid agencies have described it as one of the worst refugee crises since World War II. In addition, the war has led to the collapse of the country's economic foundations, infrastructure and institutions.