In a desperate act of survival, Afghan fathers are selling their children. Sources on the ground confirm families in Herat, Kabul and Kandahar are parting with sons and daughters for sums as low as £500. The buyers are traffickers, brothel owners and, in some cases, families seeking cheap labour.
The tragic commerce is a direct result of the economic collapse following the Taliban takeover and the freezing of Afghan central bank assets. One father, calling himself Ahmad from an IDP camp near Herat, told our reporter: "I sold my daughter so the rest can eat for a month.
I will never forgive myself, but I have no other choice." The UK government has now called for an urgent humanitarian intervention. A Foreign Office spokesperson said: "
The UK is deeply alarmed by reports of children being sold. We are working with international partners to ensure humanitarian aid reaches those who need it most." But critics point out that UK aid cuts and the continued freeze on Afghan assets have contributed to the crisis.
Uncovered documents show that despite promises, only a fraction of the £286 million pledged by the UK at the 2022 Geneva conference has been disbursed. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that 28 million Afghans need assistance, with 6 million on the brink of famine. This is a man-made catastrophe,"
said a senior OCHA official who spoke on condition of anonymity. The international community's response has been too slow and too small." For those on the ground, the calculus is simple: feed one child by selling another.
It is a choice no parent should have to make, and it is happening now.
