On the eve of the New Persian Year, a girl child laborer dies under the rubbles of her home.
Sunday night, March 17, 2019, a 9-year-old girl child laborer by the name of Sadouri and her brother, Rashid, 11, died under the debris when their home was destroyed under heavy rain.
The harrowing incident took place in south Tehran, in the farmlands near Shahr-e Rey. The 11-year-old Rashid used to farm as his sister, Sadouri, was a girl child laborer peddling on the streets to help their family earn their living.
After the heavy rain on Sunday night, their home collapsed. Their mother and siblings ran out, but the girl child laborer, Sadouri, and her brother remained under the rubbles.
More than 200 families live in the desert-like area surrounding these farmlands for over 30 years. The houses built in this area are made of mud and wood and are not resistant to rain and snow. There is no potable water. Living conditions are very harsh for children. Poverty and unemployment are the main problems of the families residing in this area.
The children who live in these homes are essentially child laborers and earn living by pan handling or peddling on the streets.
NGOs had already informed the municipality, governorate and Welfare Organization of the conditions of these children and the fact that they need help. Nonetheless, no action has been taken, so far. Once, the municipality agents destroyed a public bathroom built for the residents with the help of charities. They said nothing must be built in this area because it is unofficial! (the state-run ROKNA news agency – March 18, 2019)
The regime needs to take immediate action to prevent more children from becoming victims of such incidents and alleviate the problems they face in such non-standard housings.
