This is issue no. 38 of the "economic & social rights series". The issuance of this report comes after the death of 5 children in an accident in El Sharqeya province – Kafr El Dahtamoun village – Abu Kbeer station, those children were riding a pickup that was transporting them to the strawberry fields, they were run over by a train coming from El Salheya to Faqous while they were going to gather the strawberry harvest. This report aims to improve children conditions in Egypt and stop the violence, abuse and exploitation practiced against them. The report consists of 4 sections presented briefly as follows:
The first section: presents the conditions of child labour in Egypt, as the number of working children in the agrarian sector has reached 3 million children who work in very bad working conditions concerning fees, working hours, holidays, rests … etc.
Among the reasons of child labour, we find the deteriorated economic and social conditions of the families of these children, escaping from school … etc. From the aspects and forms of child labour in the countryside we find: children who work in the summer and seasonal farms gathering crops and spraying them with pesticides … etc. The report presents some road accidents that led to the death or injury of children. Then the report shows the ways of exploiting rural children, like the ones who work in cotton gins … etc.
The second section: presents the ways of gathering the strawberry crops that needs more than 70% of working children. Then the report presents some statements about the last accident from the children’s families and relatives, for instance: the brother of 2 of the victims mentioned “they were trying to support them selves, and they were going to get engaged the next day of the accident, but they didn’t make it to live till that day”.
The third section: presents some results, such as: the deterioration of the economic and social conditions of the children’s families, the deterioration of the educational process, exposure in the harvest and farming seasons to killer pesticides, the phenomenon of aggression against them, road accidents, deprivation of their rights in legal protection, insurance and supervision, violating their rights in social, educational and health care … etc.
The fourth section: presents some recommendations, such as:
Banning child labour in harmful types of work, especially in agriculture.
Improving and paving the roads.
Provide doctors, nurses and the necessary equipments to the village hospitals.
Quickly paying financial sums to the families of the victims that are no less than 50 thousand pounds as compensation.
Finally, the LCHR offers its’ deep condolences to the families of the victims by presenting this report to the officials especially El Sharqeya governor, the minister of transportation, the minister of education, the minister of health and the minister of manpower and social affairs to create alternative policies and mechanisms that guarantee the rights of rural children in protection, care and a decent life, in addition to providing different guarantees to limit road accidents in the countryside, and provide social and health insurance for the families of the victims to have a safe, decent and humane life.