Identification of 253 Child Laborers in Gonbad-e Kavus

The head of the Welfare Department of Gonbad-e Kavus announced at a meeting of the specialized working group on social, cultural, health, and family affairs that 253 child laborers have been identified in the شهرستان (county) with the cooperation of a support and educational center.

According to Tohra, Turkmen Sahra human rights activists, citing IRNA, Mahmoud Piri said on Sunday, October 13 (22 Mehr 1403), that based on assessments conducted over the past three years by the “Life Sprouts” Child and Family Support and Educational Center—under contract with the Welfare Organization—171 Iranian child laborers and 82 foreign-national child laborers have been identified in Gonbad-e Kavus.

The head of the Welfare Department stated that the main activities of child laborers in the county include grave digging, shop assistance (errand work), street vending, manual labor, begging, and buying and selling scrap materials. He added: “201 of them live with both parents, 40 live with their mothers, and 12 live with their fathers.”

Although this Welfare official provided official statistics in media interviews, follow-up investigations by Tohra indicate that the actual number of child laborers in the county is higher than the announced figure.

In recent years, many children in Turkmen Sahra, due to a lack of employment opportunities and worsening economic conditions, have been forced to migrate with their parents to major cities such as Tehran.

Every year, dozens of Turkmen child laborers lose their lives as a result of injuries sustained while working.