The head of the International Labour Organization (ILO), Gilbert Houngbo, has expressed deep concern about the increasing number of children leaving school to enter the workforce due to global economic challenges.

This situation has worsened due to the compounding effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, rising inflation, and the increased cost of living. Some of the most concerning cases of child labor involve forms of exploitation beyond work. Urgent and decisive action is necessary to address this issue and prevent it from escalating further.

As of early 2020, UN data revealed that approximately 160 million children were experiencing child labor, and efforts to eliminate this problem globally had stagnated for the first time in two decades. According to Houngbo, the former Prime Minister of Togo, preliminary data indicates that this troubling trend persists.

He emphasized that rising living costs, partly driven by increased food and energy prices due to the conflict in Ukraine, have put immense pressure on some families. This financial strain has pushed some families to the brink, leading to the dire situation of children being compelled to engage in the most egregious forms of child labor, including sexual exploitation, as parents seek any means to support their households.

In the coastal city of Mombasa in southeastern Kenya, a 14-year-old girl shared with the BBC that she had no alternative but to seek employment. This decision came as her mother faced challenges affording both food and school fees for her and her two siblings.

To make money, she said she had been "sleeping with men, washing clothes and plaiting hair".

The situation becomes even more distressing. The 14-year-old girl mentioned that hunger often makes it difficult for her to write during school hours.

Her mother, speaking from their modest home, shared the painful reality of their circumstances. She expressed the emotional challenge of having to make such decisions for her child. Losing her job during the pandemic left her struggling to support the family, mainly by doing laundry to make ends meet.

She conveyed the heartbreaking dilemma: while she dreams of her child having the opportunity for education and a better future, the lack of means forces her daughter into this work.

In a nearby location, a woman running a brothel noted that her business was on the rise, with an increasing number of young girls in desperate situations seeking ways to earn money.

Gilbert Houngbo, highlighting the gravity of the situation, pointed out that child labor is on the rise across various countries, encompassing low, middle, and high-income nations. This distressing trend cuts across sectors, including agriculture, mining, and construction. Poverty remains the underlying cause of this critical issue.

In various countries, the specific circumstances may differ, but UNICEF emphasizes that inflation and the escalating cost of living are "universal concerns" that have wide-ranging impacts on children.

Natalia Winder-Rossi, the director of UNICEF's social policy and social protection program, highlighted that many families, out of sheer desperation, find themselves making incredibly difficult choices and adopting harmful coping strategies, which not only affect children in the present but also have long-term consequences.

The BBC has conducted investigations in multiple countries to observe how economic challenges are impacting children's lives.

In the southern Lebanese city of Sidon, children have revealed that they had to abandon their education to help support their families. For instance, 14-year-old Alaa, who now works cleaning people's houses, shared that she used to dream of becoming a teacher when she was in school but has had to let go of those dreams.

UNICEF reports that in Lebanon, over one in ten families resort to sending their children to work, as the country grapples with a near-total economic collapse. Fifteen-year-old Muhammad, who sells tissues to passing cars, expressed the suffocating reality of the situation, where providing for the family takes precedence over education.

Despite the very concerning circumstances, Gilbert Houngbo remains optimistic about finding solutions. He emphasized that there is no single approach that fits all situations, but policies that prioritize education, job creation, and efforts to combat illicit industries are among the actions that can be pursued.

Houngbo urged governments to take proactive measures and step up their efforts to address this critical issue.