VZCZCXRO0888
PP RUEHDBU RUEHPW RUEHSL
DE RUEHBUL #3076 2761211
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 031211Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1807
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS KABUL 003076 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AID ECON EIND ELAB ETRD PHUM PREL SOCI
SUBJECT: AFGHANISTAN: CHILD LABOR REPORT POINTS DELIVERED; 
PROBLEMS MORE EXTENSIVE THAN REPORT IDENTIFIES 
 
REF: STATE 92560 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Poloff delivered reftel points on the 
Department of Labor (DOL),s Child Labor Report and "List of 
Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor" to the 
Afghanistan Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Martyrs and 
Disabled (MoL) Director of International Relations, Mr. Ahmad 
Komail, on September 30 in accordance with DOL,s 
instructions. Komail reported that the problems extend beyond 
products in the marketplace to include child selling and 
organized begging. He underscored the need for USG financial 
assistance to support MoL,s efforts to address these 
problems. End Summary. 
 
¶2. (U) DOL,s report cites Afghanistan for three products for 
which child and or forced labor is used: bricks, carpets, and 
poppies. Komail appreciates USG attention to this problem, 
but notes that more than three products are known for being 
produced with child labor. Child labor is also used for most 
agricultural products, and children are relied upon in the 
bazaars for tasks from heavy lifting to cleaning machines and 
selling goods. His office would be happy to share additional 
information with us so that we may report fully the scope of 
the problem. (NOTE: We will meet with the Ministry on October 
15 to learn more details. END NOTE.) 
 
¶3. (U) Komail noted that the first solution is to empower 
families with improved income-generating activities. When 
adult family members are underemployed they rely on their 
children to assist in supporting the family; improving 
adults, abilities to earn a family-wage is the best solution 
to reducing child labor in Afghanistan. The second solution 
is to provide students with real jobs skills for use later in 
life. With Afghan Red Crescent, the ministry runs technical 
training centers for children over age 14, teaching over 40 
types of technical job skills. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Komail said that a growing and largely unrecognized 
problem in the country is the mafia groups who organize 
professional begging rings of children; a different group 
controls each area of Kabul city, and groups operate in every 
city of the country. The children offer to wash vehicles 
stopped in traffic, polish shoes, or clean the curbs in front 
of businesses. Komail underscored the serious need for 
assistance, as the number of street children vulnerable to 
mafia control is growing; disabled children are also at risk. 
Child-selling is yet another serious matter involving the 
mafia. He said the mafia pays families up to $5,000 for each 
child. He noted that a few days ago, Saudi Arabia deported 40 
children to Afghanistan, 70 percent of whom were from Baghlan 
province, who had possibly been sold to work as camel 
jockeys. (NOTE: We are confirming the details of this 
incident. End Note.) 
 
¶5. (SBU)  Komail says that his department receives neither 
the funding or nor the support it requires from the Afghan 
government; MOL has asked Parliament and the Council of 
Ministers to provide both a normal budget and a development 
budget, to no avail. He asserted that donor support is needed 
from the USG and other governments. He notes that the 
Japanese government provides some support to the Ministry, 
but the Ministry lacks a proper budget to address the 
problems in their scope and complexity. 
 
¶6. (SBU) The Ministry's preferred solution is to increase the 
number of orphanages in the country. (NOTE: UNICEF reports 
that there are more than 50 state-run orphanages, but 80 
percent of the children living in them are technically 
non-orphans, children whose families cannot shelter, feed, or 
educate them. Further, the ANP relies on orphanages as 
default juvenile detention centers. End Note.) Komail 
believes that orphanages with technical training components 
could train offer job training to children over the age of 
¶14. 
 
¶7. (U) Komail offered assurances that he would review the DOL 
report with care and offer additional information. 
EIKENBERRY