Syrian children at work in a post-war scrapyard - in pictures

For many families, collecting and selling old ammunition as metal scrap is their only form of income

A child stacks neutralised mortar shells at a metal scrapyard on the outskirts of Maaret Misrin in Syria's Idlib province. AFP

For many families, collecting and selling metal scrap is their only form of income. AFP

The scrapyard is full of ammunition left behind by endless rounds of fighting in the country. AFP

The scrap metal includes unexploded ordnance shells and spent ammunition casings. AFP

Children who pick up dangerous objects are particularly vulnerable when working at the yard. AFP

Adults take on the more dangerous jobs, including dismantling unspent weapons. AFP

Machine gun bullets are commonplace, with numbers highest during the fighting. AFP

Piles of rockets, mortar shells, bullets and cluster bombs are sifted through each day. AFP

According to the UN, approximately 2.4 million children are out of school in Syria, with many helping their families sell scrap to eke out a living. AFP

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