Kurdistan Ministry of Labor initiates survey to assess child labor in the region

ERBIL, December 7 — In Erbil and Duhok, the number of children working on the streets remains unclear, with plans for a comprehensive survey underway, according to the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.

Research conducted in collaboration with various organizations has provided numbers for Sulaymaniyah, Halabja, Garmiyan, and Raperin and shows over 1,400 underage workers in those areas at the time the surveys were undertaken.

Arian Ahmad, spokesperson for the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, disclosed that a specialized entity, the High Council for the Protection of Children’s Rights, has been established and is dedicated to conducting a survey to ascertain accurate statistics on street children across the Kurdistan Region.

Ahmad explained, “The statistics for street children in Sulaymaniyah, Halabja, Garmiyan, and Raperin are from 2010, conducted by the Kurdistan Child Protection Organization. While they have confidence in these figures, 13 years have passed, and the current number of street children may differ.”