The Kabul Tribune (KT) — BBC reported that rising poverty, unemployment, and aid cuts in Afghanistan are pushing some families to extreme measures, including selling children to survive.
In a report from Ghor, BBC described scenes of hundreds of
men gathering daily in search of work, with many unable to earn enough to feed
their families.
One resident, 45-year-old Juma Khan, said he had only worked
three days in the past six weeks, earning between 150 and 200 Afghanis per day,
adding that his children had gone to bed hungry on multiple nights.
The report said widespread unemployment and reduced
humanitarian aid have left millions of Afghans struggling to meet basic needs,
with the United Nations estimating that three in four people cannot afford
essentials.
BBC also documented cases of families making desperate
decisions, including a father who said he was willing to sell his young
daughters due to extreme poverty and debt.
The report further described severe pressure on the
healthcare system, with malnutrition and infant mortality rising in several
regions. Medical staff cited shortages of equipment, medicines, and funding in
public hospitals.
Aid cuts, particularly from major international donors
including the United States and the United Kingdom, have significantly reduced
humanitarian assistance, according to UN data cited in the report.
Taliban officials blamed past administrations and foreign
intervention for Afghanistan’s economic collapse, while acknowledging ongoing
efforts to reduce poverty through infrastructure and development projects.
However, the BBC report concluded that millions of Afghans
continue to face urgent humanitarian needs, with limited access to food,
healthcare, and basic services.
