In Pictures: Syrian Children Work at Oil Refinery to Get By
In Pictures: Syrian Children Work at Oil Refinery to Get By
Published March 29th, 2022 - 06:52 GMT
Syrian teenagers work at a makeshift oil refining installation near the city of al-Bab in the north of the Aleppo province, an area of war-torn Syria that in recent years has turned into a de facto Turkish protectorate, on March 28, 2022. An estimated 2.5 million children in Syria are out of school, with another 1.6 million at risk of dropping out, according to the UN's children agency UNICEF. It estimates that nine in ten children in Syria live in poverty and more than 5,700 children -– some as young as seven -– have been recruited to fight. (Photo by Rami al SAYED / AFP)
Many children, teens and adults in Syria have given up on education after 11 years of war have left millions with no other choice but to work.
Data from the United Nation's International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) shows that 90% of people in Syria live in poverty and 12 million people (54% of Syria’s population) are food insecure.
For Syrian children this has meant sacrificing the normal childhood experiences and education one should have in favor of contributing to their families' income.
UNICEF reported that one-third of children in Syria show signs of psychological distress, only 2% of households confirmed their ability to meet the basic needs of all family members and 17% of internally displaced households have one or more children who are out of school.
Photos from AFP photographer Rami al Sayed show how, for some Syrian children, this reality has meant working at a makeshift oil refinery when they should be in a classroom.
Syrian teenagers work at a makeshift oil refining installation near the city of al-Bab in the north of the Aleppo province, an area of war-torn Syria that in recent years has turned into a de facto Turkish protectorate, on March 28, 2022. (Photo by Rami al SAYED / AFP)
A Syrian teenager works at a makeshift oil refining installation near the city of al-Bab in the north of the Aleppo province, an area of war-torn Syria that in recent years has turned into a de facto Turkish protectorate, on March 28, 2022. (Photo by Rami al SAYED / AFP)
Welders at a makeshift oil refining installation near the city of al-Bab in the north of the Aleppo province, an area of war-torn Syria that in recent years has turned into a de facto Turkish protectorate, on March 28, 2022. (Photo by Rami al SAYED / AFP)
A picture shows a makeshift oil refining installation near the city of al-Bab in the north of the Aleppo province, an area of war-torn Syria that in recent years has turned into a de facto Turkish protectorate, on March 28, 2022. (Photo by Rami al SAYED / AFP)
An aerial picture shows a makeshift oil refining installation near the city of al-Bab in the north of the Aleppo province, an area of war-torn Syria that in recent years has turned into a de facto Turkish protectorate, on March 28, 2022. (Photo by Rami al SAYED / AFP)
Syrian teenagers arrive to work at a makeshift oil refining installation near the city of al-Bab in the north of the Aleppo province, an area of war-torn Syria that in recent years has turned into a de facto Turkish protectorate, on March 28, 2022. (Photo by Rami al SAYED / AFP)
A Syrian teenager works at a makeshift oil refining installation near the city of al-Bab in the north of the Aleppo province, an area of war-torn Syria that in recent years has turned into a de facto Turkish protectorate, on March 28, 2022. (Photo by Rami al SAYED / AFP)
A Syrian teenager works at a makeshift oil refining installation near the city of al-Bab in the north of the Aleppo province, an area of war-torn Syria that in recent years has turned into a de facto Turkish protectorate, on March 28, 2022. (Photo by Rami al SAYED / AFP)
A Syrian teenager works at a makeshift oil refining installation near the city of al-Bab in the north of the Aleppo province, an area of war-torn Syria that in recent years has turned into a de facto Turkish protectorate, on March 28, 2022. (Photo by Rami al SAYED / AFP)
