The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a significant increase in the child labor crisis worldwide. As schools closed and millions of families plunged into poverty, children became the primary victims. The International Labor Organization (ILO) warned that the progress made in the past 20 years could be reversed due to the pandemic. Experts estimate that an additional nine million children could be forced into child labor by the end of 2022, adding to the current 152 million child laborers. The closure of businesses and job losses left families with limited income, pushing children into hazardous work to support their families. The Africa region is expected to face the largest increase in child labor, followed by the Asia and Pacific region. Urgent action is needed to prevent this crisis from deepening, including providing social protection measures for families, ensuring access to education, and creating decent job opportunities for adults.
