Father Willing to Sell His Daughters as Hunger Crisis Deepens in Afghanistan

Abdul Rashid Azimi, a father in Afghanistan’s Ghor province, has told the BBC he is willing to sell his twin daughters as extreme hunger, unemployment, and poverty push families into desperate survival decisions.

His story reflects a wider crisis in Ghor province, where hundreds of families are struggling to survive as aid cuts, drought, and lack of jobs leave many without food. In some cases, parents say they are now considering selling their children in order to feed the rest of the family.

As dawn breaks in Chaghcharan, the capital of Ghor province, hundreds of men gather at a dusty square. They stand along the roadside with tired faces, waiting for anyone who might offer them daily work. For most, the hope is simple: earn enough money to feed their families for one day.

But work is rare, and hunger is rising.

The chances of finding employment are low, and many return home empty-handed. One of them is 45-year-old Juma Khan, who says he has only managed to find three days of work in the past six weeks. The jobs paid between 150 to 200 Afghani ($2.35-$3.13; £1.76-£2.34) per day.

“My children went to bed hungry three nights in a row. My wife was crying, so were my children. So I begged a neighbour for some money to buy flour,” he says.

“I live in fear that my children will die of hunger.”

His experience reflects a wider crisis across Afghanistan, where millions are struggling to survive as jobs disappear and food becomes unaffordable. The United Nations says about three in four people cannot meet basic needs, while around 4.7 million people are close to famine.

In Ghor province alone, desperation is visible everywhere. In the same labour gathering where Juma Khan waits, other men share similar stories of despair.

Another man, Rabani, breaks down as he speaks.

“I got a call saying my children hadn’t eaten for two days,” he says.

“I felt like I should kill myself. But then I thought how will that help my family? So here I am looking for work.”

Another labourer, Khwaja Ahmad, also cries as he explains his situation.

“We are starving. My older children died, so I need to work to feed my family. But I’m old, so no one wants to give me work,” he says.

The desperation continues through the day. At a nearby bakery, crowds rush forward when stale bread is shared. Within seconds, it is gone. Moments later, the same desperation spills over again when a motorcyclist arrives offering a single labour job. Dozens rush toward him, but only a few are chosen.

In two hours, only three men find work.

Beyond the labour square, the crisis is even more severe in nearby villages, where families live in small homes scattered across dry hills and survival has become even harder.

It is here that Abdul Rashid Azimi shares his story with the BBC, holding his twin seven-year-old daughters as he speaks.

“I’m willing to sell my daughters,” he says.

“I’m poor, in debt and helpless.”

He explains that he returns home each day with no food.

“My children come to me saying ‘Baba, give us some bread’. But what can I give? Where is the work?”

He says selling one daughter would allow him to feed the rest of his children for years. His wife, Kayhan, says the family often survives on bread and hot water.

The crisis has worsened due to aid cuts, drought, and economic collapse since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Reduced international support has left millions without food assistance.

In some cases, families have already taken even more heartbreaking steps. One father, Saeed Ahmad, says he sold his five-year-old daughter for 200,000 Afghani ($3,200; £2,400) to pay for her medical treatment.

“If I had money, I would never have taken this decision,” he says.

He explains that the girl will later be taken by the buyer as a bride when she is older.

The crisis is also taking a heavy toll on health services. At Chaghcharan’s provincial hospital, overcrowded wards are filled with underweight newborns struggling to breathe. Doctors say some babies die almost daily due to malnutrition and lack of equipment.

Nurse Fatima Husseini says, “In the beginning, I found it very hard when I saw children dying. But now it has almost become normal for us.”

With no money for treatment, many families take sick babies home, where survival becomes uncertain.

For many across Ghor, daily life has become a fight between hunger and hope, with no clear end in sight.

Source: BBC