Field findings by the Hasht-e Subh Daily show that several street children in Herat have turned to begging, while others are exposed to abuse, exploitation, and drug addiction. The children’s accounts and field observations of their situation reveal the difficult and vulnerable conditions they face. Some of these children have become addicted to inhaling motorcycle fuel, and when people stop their motorcycles, the children secretly drain the fuel and inhale it. At the same time, some residents of Herat have expressed concern over the rising number of working children on the streets. They say the number of these children in the streets of Herat is growing every day. According to these residents, poverty, economic hardship,p and unemployment have forced families to send their children into the city’s streets in search of a piece of bread.
The findings of the Hasht-e Subh field report indicate that some working children on the streets of Herat face difficult circumstances. A number of these children, in conversations with the Hasht-e Subh Daily, confirmed that they have become addicted to drugs on the streets, while others have become addicted to inhaling motorcycle fuel.
Ahmad (pseudonym), 12 years old, has become addicted to motorcycle fuel, and all residents of the area are aware of his condition. Direct observations of the child’s condition also show that he is not in a normal state, and that the way he walks and looks resembles that of people struggling with addiction.
Local shopkeepers also call this child by various names, and his strange gaze causes some shopkeepers to harass him further. Based on field observations, after shopkeepers call out to him, the child looks toward them in a manner that suggests he is intoxicated, which draws even more attention from the shopkeepers.
According to field findings, even though the shopkeepers repeatedly called out to him and used his name, the child did not respond. He may have been mistreated by shopkeepers before, which may explain why he no longer pays attention to their calls.
Sahar (pseudonym), a 12-year-old girl who works on the street alongside Ahmad, says: “He has become addicted, and every day he opens people’s motorcycle fuel tanks, draws out the fuel and inhales it to get intoxicated.”
To verify this, the Hasht-e Subh Daily closely observed and monitored the child’s behavior. Appearing disoriented, he examined each motorcycle individually while constantly watching his surroundings to avoid being caught by the motorcycles’ owners.
The findings of this report indicate that street children in Herat face a real risk of exploitation, and that little attention is being paid to their situation by the Taliban or by social organizations active in this field. When these children stop someone on the street, they all run toward that person expecting help, a behavior that at times causes distress and inconvenience to citizens in the streets.
At the same time, some residents of Herat, expressing concern over the ever-increasing number of working children in the city’s streets, say these children face various problems, including the risk of exploitation and abuse. They add that these children themselves also create inconvenience for the public, resorting to pickpocketing and begging.
Meanwhile, Dr. Benafsha Arifi says that inhaling fuel can poison children’s digestive systems and cause problems such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. According to her, if a child vomits after inhaling fuel, petroleum substances may enter the lungs through the respiratory tract, causing inflammation and serious, long-lasting respiratory problems.
Arifi adds that inhaling fuel can cause drowsiness, confusion, and intoxication, and that in cases of heavier use, there is a risk of seizures and disturbances in consciousness. She warns that the absorption of petroleum substances into the blood and lungs can also affect the heart, and in severe cases, can cause irregular heartbeat or even cardiac arrest.
According to data from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the International Labour Organization (ILO), approximately 19.4 percent of children aged 5 to 17 in Afghanistan are engaged in child labor. This rate is reported at 22.3 percent in rural areas and 10.1 percent in urban areas. International organizations have warned that children engaged in labor, particularly in hazardous occupations, face serious threats to their health, safety, and education.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
کودکان کار در خیابانهای هرات؛ چگونه با خوردن تیل معتاد میشوند؟
