AL-SHADDADI, Syria — Nine years into the Syrian war, child labor has seriously increased in al-Shaddadi in northeastern Syria, as well as in several other cities of Al-Jazira region, where children work long hours amid miserable and exploitative conditions.

Sohaib Jaber, 13, sets up his spices in the early morning hours on the sidewalk in front of a barbershop. He'll stay there for around 10 hours straight, selling bags of the seasonings to feed his family.

He tells Al-Monitor he became the sole breadwinner for his mother and three brothers after his father was killed by the Islamic State (IS) when it occupied the city in May 2014. Jaber is one of hundreds of Syrian children who lost parents during the Syrian conflict; many were forced to drop out of school and look for jobs so they and their families could survive.

Two streets down from where Jaber works, Mohammed Hussein, 14, stands behind a grill in a restaurant. He's held several jobs over the past five years. Working for long hours at the restaurant is exhausting, he tells Al-Monitor. His shift begins at 8 in the morning and ends at 7 in the evening.