The United Kingdom has demanded a UN-led emergency humanitarian intervention after reports emerged of Afghan fathers being compelled to sell their children to feed their families. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office issued a statement on Tuesday expressing “profound horror” at the allegations, which have surfaced in multiple provinces including Herat and Badakhshan. The crisis, driven by the collapse of Afghanistan’s economy following the Taliban takeover, has seen food prices skyrocket and unemployment exceed 80 percent.
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “The UK is working with allies to ensure humanitarian aid reaches those most in need, but the scale of suffering demands an immediate, coordinated international response.” The United Nations World Food Programme has warned that 23 million Afghans face acute hunger this winter. The Taliban leadership has denied the reports, calling them “propaganda” designed to destabilise the country.
However, humanitarian organisations on the ground have confirmed the trend, with one aid worker describing it as “a national emergency unfolding in silence.” The UK is urging the UN Security Council to convene an emergency session. No date has yet been set.
