New York: The United Nations has reported that nearly 138 million children are engaged in labor under harsh and dangerous conditions in fields and factories globally as of 2024, warning that the eradication of child labor could take centuries due to the slow pace of progress.According to Libyan News Agency, a joint report by UNICEF and the International Labor Organization highlighted that in the previous year, 137.6 million children aged between 5 and 17 were working, accounting for approximately 7.8% of all children in that age group. UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell noted that although there has been significant progress in reducing child labor, a substantial number of children continue to work in hazardous environments such as mines, factories, and fields.ILO Director-General Gilbert Houngbo emphasized the ongoing challenge, stating, "We must not lose sight of the fact that we still have a long way to go before we achieve our goal of eliminating child labor." The report detailed that nearly 40% of these 138 million children were engaged in highly hazardous work, posing risks to their health, safety, or development.The situation is particularly concerning among younger children, with progress reported to be very slow. Last year, nearly 80 million children aged between 5 and 11 were working, representing 8.2% of all children in that age group.