New Delhi, May 20: Multiple international media reports highlight the escalating humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. Families are reportedly driven to sell their children due to extreme poverty, struggling to afford food, medical care, or even debt relief.
These incidents are no longer isolated cases but part of a larger crisis, with three-quarters of Afghans fighting to meet their basic needs. The deteriorating situation has forced families to take unimaginable steps to survive, including selling their children, often their daughters. Reports cite severe poverty, hunger, unemployment, and cuts in international aid as primary causes. The Taliban’s restrictions on women and girls have further exacerbated the crisis.
A recent media report from Ghazni province showcased families compelled to sell their daughters due to extreme hunger and unemployment. One father, Said Ahmad, shared his heartbreaking decision to sell his five-year-old daughter, Shaika, to fund her life-saving surgery for a liver cyst and appendicitis. He stipulated that the buyer could only take Shaika after her necessary medical procedure was completed. Thankfully, the surgery was successful, funded by the 200,000 Afghanis (less than $3,200) he received from the sale.
The report emphasized that three out of four Afghans are unable to meet their basic needs. Approximately 5 million people are facing emergency levels of hunger, leading to increased child mortality due to malnutrition and the collapse of health services.
Unemployment is at an all-time high, health services are severely struggling, and the aid that once met the basic needs of millions has drastically diminished. According to United Nations (UN) data, parents report that selling their children is their only option to escape starvation. One distressed father introduced his seven-year-old twin daughters, Rokia and Rohila, to a British public broadcaster, explaining that they are so impoverished and in debt that they are willing to sell their daughters.
Earlier reports have also revealed similar cases where parents sold their children because their other children were dying of hunger. These accounts illustrate that this is not an isolated incident but a growing trend.
Experts indicate that the crisis has deepened since the Taliban’s return to power and the cessation of most international aid. The situation has deteriorated to the point where extreme poverty is now commonplace for a significant portion of the population, rather than an exception.
A recent UN report estimated that approximately 28 million people were living in poverty in Afghanistan by 2025. The return of a large number of people, worsening drought conditions, and reduced international aid have intensified the crisis.
The report further noted that despite recording economic growth for the second consecutive year, Afghanistan’s real GDP only increased by 1.9 percent in 2025, down from 2.3 percent the previous year. Meanwhile, the population growth rate reached 6.5 percent, resulting in an estimated 2.1 percent decline in per capita real GDP.
Arpit Soni has had a passion for journalism since the beginning. Now he has turned this hobby into his profession. Arpit, who is a resident of Udaipur, enjoys editing and writing news related to journalism. He has worked as a Senior Content Producer in several important roles at Bhaskar, Patrika, Pratahkal, Punjab Kesari, and Times. Arpit completed his schooling in Udaipur and Jaipur. He has been working in the media industry for more than 10 years, and his journey is still continuing. ✍️📚
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