Garbage pickers: A Struggle for Sustenance
An investigative report revealing the suffering of garbage pickers in Syria, caught between disease, poverty, and marginalization
By Abbas Ali Musa – Ali ad-Dalati
Al-Qamishli – Idlib
At 5:15 pm on October 16, 2024, Russian warplanes targeted several areas in Idlib. Among the targeted areas was a nearby area, just meters away from al-Habat landfill in Idlib countryside, but this did not impact Abu Aref who earns his living by digging in this landfill.
Abu Aref family having moved, even the sun set that day. They returned to collecting garbage the day after the bombing, because “life is difficult.” His wife, Umm Aref, said. She added, “my greatest fear is that fate will take one of my children while he is hungry, as they often go to sleep without dinner and sometimes without breakfast as well.”
Abu Aref family is not the only one working in searching through garbage, or as the public calls them: diggers. In every corner, you will find dozens of people who were driven by harsh living conditions to work in digging garbage. Among the piles of garbage, danger becomes the norm, and food is a rare luxury. In the same region, specifically in “Minqar al-bat,” which is the affectionate metaphorical name for al-Hasakah Governorate on the map. The situation in al-Qamishli city doesn’t seem much different. Fayyad, a garbage pickers who lives in a neighborhood on the southern outskirts of the city, was not lucky enough to change his fate. He has been working in garbage picking since he was a child, and it did not end after he became a father of five. Although Fayyad suffers from health problems resulting from the nature of the work, including ulcers, skin infections (eczema), and asthma due to the unclean work environment, he struggles in this work, enduring all the hardships and difficulties, whether from societal views or diseases, the summer heat, and winter cold. He says in an exhausted voice: “I got used to people’s looks and the difficulty of the work, but hunger is harsher.”
The investigators met with 43 diggers (between October 22 and 30, 2024) in Idlib and al-Qamishli for the purpose of this investigation. 53% of them said that they were directly injured during work, some of them once or more. The answers showed that these injuries were not all the result of dealing with shards of glass or abrasive materials, but rather some were due to chronic and accompanying diseases such as eczema, asthma, and breathing difficulties. Some of the injuries were pre-existing, and the work of digging increased their irritation, while some appeared over time as a result of the work.
What makes this work even more difficult is that it is “unlisted, and therefore there are no unions or federations for these workers to demand protection, whether under Syrian law or the law of the self-administration,” according to lawyer and civil activist Ali Iskan. They are also not classified in Idlib areas, and although their work is not prohibited, there is sometimes societal harassment of their work, as garbage pickers (of both sexes) said in interviews with the investigators.
Between Idlib and al-Qamishli, and other cities in Syria, these painful stories are inevitably repeated, illustrating how piles of garbage have become a source of income for many who have been driven by need to confront the risks of disease and social ostracism.
In this investigation, we shed light on the phenomenon of garbage pickers, which has become a symbol of the extreme poverty and economic collapse experienced by many members of the Syrian people. How do they spend their day? How does their daily contact with garbage affect the health of this group? What motivates them to endure this difficult and dangerous work? And what is the impact of this phenomenon on society and the environment?
A photo taken by the investigator from Abu Aref tent shows a target near al-Habat garbage dump
The Specter of Disease
Medical studies indicate that humans have an innate ability to adapt to surrounding odors, including unpleasant odors, through what is known as sensory adaptation. This adaptation is explained as a process carried out by sensory receptors in the nose to gradually reduce the response to the odor after continuous exposure to it for a period of time.
Although this adaptation may help reduce the feeling of discomfort, it may pose a danger in some cases, such as a person not noticing the presence of toxic gases or harmful substances in his surroundings due to getting used to their smell.
Garbage pickers suffer from various diseases as a result of their contact with various types of garbage, but the most common are respiratory diseases, followed by skin diseases. 32% of the research sample conducted by the investigators with garbage pickers in Idlib and al-
Al-Qamishli said that they suffer from respiratory problems, including asthma and breathing difficulties. About chest and respiratory diseases doctor Ahmed Bayoush confirms that when garbage pickers are exposed to the foul odors of in landfills and garbage environments they suffer lung diseases, through acute attacks or chronic diseases that worsen due to prolonged exposure to these conditions.
Video interview with Dr. Ahmed Bayoush
The workers in this sector do not commit to visiting the doctor, as the results of the survey showed that 65% did not see a doctor, even though they confirmed that they were suffering from diseases. The reason is the weak health culture in a sector of work, including those with a socially inferior view, such as digging and working in garbage. Fayyad, whom we met several times during his work in al-Qamishli, says, “We have become immune.” Although Fayyad often wraps his face with a scarf, it is often related to social aspects such as not being recognized by society and avoiding embarrassment. However, Fayyad suffers from asthma and respiratory problems. The next time we met him, he said that he had visited the doctor once or twice. The investigator was unable to confirm whether he had asthma, due to the lack of evidence to prove it, but the recurring coughing during the meetings confirms that he has major respiratory problems, especially for a non-smoker. But the most dangerous thing, according to chest and respiratory physician Ahmed Bayoush, is that chronic exposure to the odors emanating from garbage sites can lead to chronic bronchitis, which is a predisposing factor for lung cancer. Exposure to these carcinogenic gases is similar to the effect of smoking or exposure to car and factory fumes, which increases the risk of respiratory diseases. According to data from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), at least 4,300 cancer patients reside in Idlib, most of whom suffer from breast and lung cancer. The Assistant Director General of Al-Biruni Hospital, Muhammad Al-Awak, which receives about 70% of cancer cases nationwide, confirmed in a statement dating back to April 2024 that lung and bronchial cancer cases represent 15% of the common cancer cases admitted to the hospital between 2022-2023, which comes in second place after breast cancer. If we know that about 12,000 patients were received during this period, this means that about 1,800 of them are lung and bronchial cancer cases.
Figure (1) shows the cases of illness that garbage pickers were exposed to
Figure (2) shows the cases in which garbage pickers visited the patient
Although lung and respiratory diseases are the most difficult, the failure to use gloves or anything to protect the hands, for garbage pickers, leads to multiple skin diseases such as skin allergies, scabies, eczema, and other diseases, as the dermatologist, Dr. Rehab Omar, confirms that “infectious diseases resulting from fungi, parasites, and germs” are the most common during contact with garbage , and cases of “infection with herpes, which appears in the form of skin ulcers on the face or hands, as well as the spread of scabies, which particularly affects children and their families, and increases if a family member works in this profession.” Dermatologist Rehab Omar says that “infectious diseases caused by fungi, parasites, and germs” are the most common during contact with garbage . But the most dangerous thing about garbage rummaging may not appear in a year or two, as workers face major health risks, including an increased risk of chronic and cancerous diseases due to work conditions. “It’s like lung cancer for smokers, cancer doesn’t appear in the first or second cigarette, but rather it’s a cumulative process,” says hematologist and oncologist Dr. Moalem Khalil, who clearly says that there is “a clear relationship between this work and exposure to harmful and toxic substances. Exposure to toxic fumes, chemicals, or war remnants, such as gasoline and petroleum derivatives, can lead to blood diseases or blood cancers. Continuous exposure to substances that cause skin irritation can lead to the development of skin cancer. Inhaling odors and fumes in these places also increases the risk of lung cancer.”
Video interview with Dr. Mulham Khalil
Dr. Khalil confirms, “as doctors specializing in cancer, we notice that exposure to carcinogenic factors does not lead to the appearance of cancer immediately; blood disorders may appear after a year or two of continuous exposure to carcinogenic substances.”
These indicators are dangerous, making the lives of garbage pickers vulnerable to cancer in the medium and long term, especially since most of them cannot find alternative work due to poor economic conditions, as 34% of those surveyed said that they will continue in this work, while another 34% said that they may continue in this work, as long as they do not have other options.
According to the Eastern Mediterranean Office of the World Health Organization (EMRO), Syria ranked fifth in the Arab world in terms of widespread cancer cases. Although its global ranking is 96, expectations indicate that the Eastern Mediterranean region will witness the highest rate of cancer by 2030.
Survival
Abu Aref lives in Al-Tah camp in Idlib countryside and works with his family, consisting of a wife and eight children, in sifting through garbage. However, his work, which is fraught with danger and difficulties, barely provides for him and his family. He says that he sells what he collects for about 50 to 60 liras (the areas of Idlib under the control of the Syrian opposition deal in the Turkish lira), which is equal to less than two dollars. This amount rarely covers the price of bread and some vegetables, and is usually sold to mobile points of sale or some other points near the landfill itself, who in turn sell it to factories that recycle plastic, copper, and other things.
Abu Aref goes out with some of his sons to search the large landfill, which represents an area of more than 77 thousand square meters, looking for what can be sold, such as plastic, copper and other materials, but he is not always successful in obtaining what will satisfy his and his family’s hunger, in addition to the shelling that occurs in the surrounding area, as the investigator monitored the shelling of a site near the landfill while preparing the investigation, which makes it a dangerous profession and in a way that does not match the weak financial income that Abu Aref and other workers in the excavation earn. The family lives in a tent near the landfill, and says that they were expelled from places where they previously excavated garbage, and that they were subjected to repeated insults, but the harshness of life forces them to continue, a phenomenon that is repeated in many Syrian regions due to economic and social conditions. Idlib was teeming with hundreds of random dumps, before they were collected into 17 central dumps in the city and its countryside, including the Al-Habbat dump, which Abu Aref’s family and other garbage pickers make a living from digging in.
Abu Aref sets out with his sons in search of what can be sold
Plastic, copper, scrap iron and to a lesser extent cardboard and sheet metal are the most sought after by garbage pickers. These garbage pickers have to work between six and eight hours a day to collect enough to cover their daily expenses.
Back in al-Qamishli, Fayyad also faces health problems resulting from the nature of his work. He has developed ulcers, skin infections (eczema) and asthma due to the unclean work environment, where he collects garbage from containers and streets without protective equipment such as gloves. As for masks, he covers his face with a scarf, which he confirms he does not use for protection. (I don’t like people to know me) he laughs. (We have become immune). Although he knows that he does not have immunity, as his skin and respiratory infections are the result of his handling of garbage , he continues to search for what can be sold. He collects about 10 to 15 kg of plastic and other saleable materials such as copper, some saleable metal and tin cans for soft drinks. He also collects food scraps and dry bread for his animals.
Some prices of materials collected by garbage pickers in al-Hasakah Governorate. Source: CA-SYR report
In interviews conducted by the investigator with garbage collectors and points of sale of collected materials, it was found that the average price of 1 kg of various materials is about 4,000 liras in September/December 2024
Between 2021 and 2024, the number of garbage collection centers in al-Hasakah city increased from 8 centers to 46 centers, distributed across the city’s neighborhoods and its surroundings, Source: CA-SYR report
The search process on his motorcycle takes more than five hours in the summer heat and the bitter cold in the winter, during which he moves between the popular mobile markets, and the containers in the streets, and he mainly heads to the tourist street, al-Hasakah street and Amuda, before stopping at one of the points that buy these materials, where more than eight points were monitored to buy plastic, metal cans and copper in al-Qamishli city, who press the metal materials, chop the plastic and ship it to Manbij and Aleppo, and this work provides him with about 50 thousand Syrian pounds daily (equivalent to approximately 3.5 dollars), which is an amount that is barely enough for him, but he says that (this work is better than begging, and better than many other jobs) and makes him suppress his anger and turn a blind eye to the difficulties of the work.
al-Qamishli city had a huge central landfill in the vicinity of the city called Rodko landfill, which received about 300 tons of garbage per day. It was removed and closed in the summer of 2021, after the construction of a huge central landfill in an area south of Al-Hawl twon. At that time, garbage pickers were heading there, and after the removal process, the pickers were forced to work searching inside the containers inside the neighborhoods and on the streets.
Fayyad (25 years old), who refused to be photographed directly, was interviewed by the investigator more than once. Fayyad does not just wander around the containers, but also stops inside the neighborhoods and on the corners where the garbage is collected and is not removed until two or three days later, while the containers are emptied daily on the main roads.
According to the World Bank reports for the year 2024, the governorates in the northeastern part of Syria record the highest rate of poverty, and the special section of the report provides a quick overview of the main findings of the Syrian Household Welfare Report. In 2022, poverty affected 69% of the population in Syria, or about 14.5 million Syrians. Although extreme poverty did not actually exist before the outbreak of the conflict, it affected more than one in four Syrians in 2022, while economic and social indicators show the depth of the crisis that Syrians are experiencing, as the per capita share of the gross national income in Syria is only $ 560 annually, which puts the majority of the population below the poverty line and makes meeting basic needs almost impossible. It may have been exacerbated by the devastating effects of the February 2023 earthquake.
Inflation rates in the country have increased, as the Syrian Lira has deteriorated dramatically, especially between January 2021 to more than 15,000 Syrian pounds per dollar in November 2024, an increase of nearly 420%.
In al-Hasakah Governorate, Turkish drone and air strikes on infrastructure, including power and oil stations, have increased the reality of public services, and have greatly affected stability, according to a Human Rights Watch report, which has affected the already fragile economic movement. Likewise, Russian and Syrian government air strikes on Idlib areas have greatly affected stability and weakened the labor market, according to reports, in addition to the effects of the devastating earthquake in February 2023 and its catastrophic results, especially in large areas of Idlib.
Laws but
Garbage picking is not considered an official job, and therefore does not follow any legal or regulatory body. Lawyer and civil activist Rojin Habbou pointed out that “the phenomenon of garbage picking is not classified, but it cannot be overlooked because it exists, and its spread is understandable, due to several factors, the most important of which are poverty and the dire economic situation.” Habbou added: “Helping these garbage pickers can be effective by integrating them into the sanitation system, such as attracting them to work as cleaners or employing them in recycling plants, and this should be done in cooperation with civil organizations.” In a meeting with the Compost Company in Idlib, which converts household organic garbage into compost, which also includes sorting garbage , the company said that it has employed more than 30 workers, but it chose families in greater need. However, considering the workers in garbage picking, they are not seen as an alternative to workers, as they are not considered to secure job opportunities close to their work, such as sorting garbage in these companies and others. Although the investigator contacted the cleaning company I Clean, the Ministry of Local Administration, and the Government Relations Office of the Ministry of Information (affiliated with the Salvation Government), which is directly concerned with the issue of garbage and others, to obtain answers about the issue of garbage management, garbage picking, and others, they procrastinated more than once, and in the end they evaded the meeting.
In al-Qamishli city, the number of garbage pickers is naturally large, as the owner of one of the points of purchase of materials from garbage pickers, who refused to be named, said that there are no less than 300 garbage pickers in his area, in the southern part of the city alone. Although the garbage pickers are not exposed, it is generally viewed as an indecent act, so a decision was issued by al-Hasakah Municipality to confiscate the animals that were used to pick and collect garbage by garbage pickers.
In 2022, the Child Care Office was established in the local administration of Al-Jazeera Canton (in the autonomous administration), and since then it has been pursuing children who rob, beg, and homeless people in the streets. Faraj Othman, the co-chair of the office, considers robbing to be a shameful act for children. In addition to its major role in school dropouts, it is an environment for exploiting children and exposing them to sexual and other exploitation. So far, a system has been followed based on gathering children who rob in collection centers and writing a written pledge from the child’s family the first time and transferring them to a center for children. They are not allowed to visit their families until the specified period has expired, which extends from two months to six months depending on the frequency of cases. Othman believes that this is effective, as the names of 2,256 children were documented the first time, and only 215 of them robbed again the second time, decreasing to 33 the third time and only three cases the fourth time.
The official page of the Child Care Center. The center receives children who have returned to working in digging or begging after a written pledge from the parents the second time. The period varies between three to six months depending on the repetition. According to the co-chair of the care office, it receives 30 cases in the most extreme case, decreasing to ten cases and sometimes less. According to the investigator’s observation, child garbage pickers have actually decreased significantly after they were widespread in al-Qamishli city.
However, a report issued by the Crisis Center – Syria – CA-SYR about the garbage collection industry in al-Hasakah city and focused on child labor in garbage collection between 2021 and 2024. It said that the various measures taken by the Autonomous Administration failed to achieve their goals for several reasons, the first and most important of which is that they did not address the root causes of child labor. The report concluded that child labor in garbage collection in al-Hasakah has become more organized and depends on employing children within groups led by a contractor (sergeant) who transports children to neighborhoods to pick garbage and replaces them with others.
There are hundreds of cases in the Idlib and al-Qamishli countrysides of family breadwinners (adults), as in the story of Abu Aref and Fayyad, who work in garbage picking as an unalternative source of income, at least for the time being. The investigators met with 43 men and women who work in garbage picking, 68% of whom said that they would continue in this work or were hesitant to answer the question (maybe), while only 32% said that they were not thinking of continuing in this work, which reflects the helplessness and great economic difficulties that push some to garbage picking.
The interviews conducted by the investigators shows that society’s view is one of the most influential things on garbage pickers, as 44% said that society’s view is one of disgust and pity, while 49% said that society does not care about them at all.
Street garbage pickers are often viewed as almost equal to street beggars, which perhaps explains the legal treatment by the Child Welfare Office, where beggars are treated equally, and this makes this profession fraught with more difficulties and psychological pressures.
Civil activist and lawyer Ali Iskan believes that the economic situation that pushes some people to work in garbage scavenging leads to children and sometimes the entire family engaging in scavenging, which is a behavior fraught with more psychological, physical and health risks. Iskan believes that the phenomenon should be dealt with in order to limit and end it, through a package of strict legal measures alongside programs to enhance social and economic services, including providing alternative job opportunities as part of economic solutions, so that individuals obtain a fixed income and a source of livelihood, and thus reduce the need to search for recyclable materials in the garbage, such as by employing them in the cleaning sector or recycling plants.
The phenomenon of garbage pickers does not merely represent the suffering of a small group of people, but rather is a symbol of extreme poverty and the economic and social collapse that is sweeping Syria. Among the piles of garbage, stories of hunger and patience intertwine with legal and societal neglect that further exacerbates the tragedy. With the continuation of current conditions, the danger extends to include not only the health of workers in this field, but also the health of society and the environment.
Confronting this painful reality requires urgent and comprehensive intervention from the relevant authorities to provide alternative job opportunities and regulate the recycling sector in a way that ensures justice and protection for all. Perhaps it is time to stop looking at garbage pickers with pity or disgust, and start looking at the roots of the problem and its possible solutions.
This investigation is part of a project carried out by the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression. It was published in “Suwar ” Magazine on February 20, 2025, under the supervision of Dr. Mona Abdel Maqsoud.
This investigation was prepared and completed before the fall of the Syrian regime.
