The spread of the coronavirus in Iran and the special threat to child labor in the inaction of government institutions

With the onset and spread of the coronavirus in Iran, the situation of child laborers is at particular risk; according to statistics announced by Iranian media, there are at least 500,000 children working throughout the country, of whom over 98 percent are the breadwinners of the family.

Hamed Farmand, a child rights activist, spoke to Voice of America on Tuesday, March 17, noting that child laborers are a group of children who work on the streets, in workshops, or in mines. He said: "These children can be carriers of the coronavirus to their homes, homes that have been seriously damaged in terms of health infrastructure, and these children can put not only themselves but also their parents at risk of contracting the virus."

This child activist also says: "The general health of these children, who are in a vulnerable group in society, is currently at serious risk due to the insecurity of their living environment, their work, and their inadequate health status."

While the Iranian government has not taken the necessary precautions to support this segment of society since the spread of the coronavirus, some public institutions have taken action to support these children in recent days and are providing some children with the necessary training to prevent them from contracting the virus.

In this regard, Hamed Farmand told Voice of America: "Government institutions are not only not helping working children in the current situation, but by implementing projects such as collecting working and street children, they are causing additional harm to this segment of society."

This child rights activist described the people's support for civil society organizations opposing the child collection plan as an initial executive step as a civic responsibility, and called on the people of Iran to support these organizations, whose activities are in line with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, so that a positive step can be taken to protect working and street children.

Source: Voice of America