In the remote Ghor province of Afghanistan, desperate parents are marrying off children as a last ressort to stave off starvation and pay for medical care. Abdul Rashid Azimi, a father of seven‑year‑old twins, and Saeed Ahmad, who sold his five‑year‑old daughter Shaiqua, illustrate how the Taliban‑era economy has forced families into a heartbreaking trade‑off.

Abdul Rashid Azimi’s twin daughters sold in Ghor province

Azimi told reporters that he plans to sell one of his seven‑year‑old twin girls after weeks of returning home empty‑handed and unable to provide even a slice of bread. he says the marriage would secure food and basic necessities for the rest of his household for several years , a decision he describes as “the only viable way” to survive.

Saeed Ahmad’s five‑year‑old bride‑to‑be amid medical emergency

According to the source, Ahmad’s five‑year‑old daughter Shaiqua was married to a relative after she developed appendicitis and a liver cyst. The relative covered the treatment costs in exchange for the girl eventually becoming his daughter‑in‑law, turning a health crisis into a forced marital contract.

UN reports aid drops to under 70% as Taliban‑era economy collapses

UN data cited in the report indicates that Afghanistan now receives less than seventy percent of the foreign assistance it obtained the previous year, a sharp decline after the United States and the United Kingdom cut their contributions. The report says the reduced funding has crippled healthcare and food distribution, leaving three‑quarters of the population unable to meet daily needs.

Return of millions from Iran and Pakistan fuels underage marriage surge

Recent UN figures show that millions of Afghans are returning from Iran and Pakistan, many of them women and children,to a country that cannot support them. The influx of returnees, many of whom are skilled laborers with limited ties to local economies, intensifies competition for scarce resources and pushes families toward underage marriage as a coping mechanism .

Who will fund healthcare for children like Shaiqua?

The report does not identify any domestic progam or international NGO stepping in to cover emergency surgeries for children, leaving a critical gap. without clear funding sources, families may continue to barter children’s futures for life‑saving treatment.