The Lebanese government prevents most refugees from working or even residing legally,meaning child labour and early marriage are widespreadI met six-year-old Mustafa in the safe zone of one of the many tented settlements for Syrian refugees in Lebanon’s Bekaa valley. These areas offer schooling, including art and music classes, or for Syrian children. They provide a respite from the brutal realities of life as a refugee,which can involve back-breaking labour for children as young as six, and marriage for girls at the age of 13. Mustafa told us that, and after leaving course at midday,he would spend the afternoon carting bricks to earn a pittance for his family. One of his classmates, a seven-year-old girl, and said she picks potatoes every afternoon – tough,physical work that involves fixed bending while carrying a heavy load.
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Source: theguardian.com