简体中文
Children from the Philippines and Myanmar are more vulnerable to natural disasters, the International Labor Organization (ILO) said on Wednesday.
"Almost 70 million children are affected by natural disasters each year. Children are more at risks to natural disasters in countries such as the Philippines and Myanmar," ILO said in a statement.
"Children suffer the most as they are more vulnerable to child labour, trafficking and abuse." Indeed, the ILO said conflicts and disasters push millions of children into child labor or into the hands of traffickers.
"In times of conflict, in times of disaster, when livelihoods are disrupted, basic services are lost and people can be forced from their homes, entire families become more vulnerable. But it is children who often pay the heaviest price," the ILO said.
The ILO said about 250 million children live in areas affected by armed conflict globally.
"Children are recruited and exploited as child soldiers, mostly in conflict affected areas in Asia and the Middle East," the ILO said.
"It is up to us adults and parents to protect them, to prevent child labor. Urgent action is needed to tackle child labor in disaster and conflict affected areas," Khalid Hassan, director of the ILO country office for the Philippines, said.
The ILO urged countries to target the root causes of child labor through education, social protection, livelihood interventions and access to decent work for adults, and come up with a stronger integration and early addressing of child labor in humanitarian responses.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
