More Children Forced into Labor amid Economic Crisis

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.christianpost.com/Intl/Human_rights/2009/05/more-children-forced-into-labor-amid-economic-crisis-16/

By Lillian Kwon
Christian Post Reporter
Sat, May. 16 2009 05:30 PM EDT

The global economic crisis is forcing more children around the world into the worse forms of child labor, international relief and development organization World Vision warns.

"Poverty drives people to desperate measures. And in dire situations, children become one of two things: a source of income or a drain on the income," Jesse Eaves, World Vision's policy advisor for children in crisis and a son of missionaries, explained to The Christian Post.

As demand from the West falls and the number of export-driven jobs decreases amid the economic downturn, businesses in countries like Cambodia, India and Thailand are likely to lay off workers without advanced warning, thus forcing families to find other income sources through their children.

In Cambodia, Eaves noted, 72 percent of children in brick factories say they're there because their parents cannot afford to buy food and 22 percent say their parents forced them to work to pay off debt.

In Phuket, Thailand, World Vision reported seeing a dramatic increase in local and migrant children searching for work in tourist bars and clubs.

And on the east coast of India, children are making gravel, smashing rocks in 100 degree heat up to 16 hours a day, noted Eaves, who visited Southeast Asia earlier this year to examine the problems on the ground.

FULL story at link.