They won't even be able to eat, frankly. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is suffering the effects of floods and droughts over the past three years. An estimated eighty thousand children there face starvation and disease. Some two hundred and fifty million children around the world are being forced to work, often in hazardous conditions that threaten their health, and even their lives. Leading experts on child labour joined government ministers from 40 countries this week to forge a global strategy to fight child labour, and eventually eliminate it.
Many children work without pay.
Those children who do get money for their work earn far less than adults. Girls, on average, earn less than boys, even though they usually work longer hours in the same jobs. Norway announced it will devote more development assistance to education, and will donate 200 million Norwegian kroner to battle child labour worldwide. Reports of rape are down in the former Yugoslavia but the international community must remain vigilant. That's according to a new report of the United Nations Secretary-General.