In the remote hills of Ghor province, Afghanistan, fathers like Abdul Rashid Azimi are planning to sell their seven‑year‑old twin daughters into marriage to keep their families from starving. The decision, reported by a recent humanitarian brief, reflects a broader collapse of livelihoods after international aid slashed to under 70% of previous levels.

Azimi’s four‑year lifeline plan for his twins

Abdul Rashid Azimi, a father of seven children, told the source that marrying off one of his seven‑year‑old twins, Roqia or Rohila, could feed the rest of his household for “at least four years.” He described returning from work exhausted, hungry, and hearing his children beg for bread, prompting the grim calculation.. This personal account underscores how families view daughters as assets in a cash‑starved economy.

Saeed Ahmad’s medical‑debt marriage deal for five‑year‑old Shaiqua

Another father, Saeed Ahmad, recounted selling his five‑year‑old daughter Shaiqua to a relative to cover urgent medical costs for an appendicitis operation and a liver cyst. the agreement, according to the report, involved partial payment now with the promise that Shaiqua would become the relative’s daughter‑in‑law after a few years. This illustrates how health emergencies are pushing families into underage marriage contracts.

Taliban’s 2021 takeover linked to a surge in child marriages

Since the Taliban regained power in 2021, women and girls have faced tightened restrictions on education and work, a factor the source says has amplified the vulnerability of young girls. The regime’s policies, combined with a cultural preference for male children as future earners, have turned daughters into “tradeable assets” for families on the brink of fmaine.

International aid drops below 70% and fuels desperation

The United Nations estimates that aid to Afghanistan has fallen to less than 70 percent of the previous year’s total, after the United States and the United Kingdom cut most of their funding. according to the soruce, three out of four Afghans now cannot meet basic daily needs, unemployment is widespread, and the health system is collapsing, leaving families with no safety net .

Who is really to blame? Taliban’s legacy versus foreign aid withdrawal

Deputy Taliban spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat argues that the country inherited an “artificial economy” built on two decades of foreign dollars, suggesting the current crisis is a legacy issue. in contrast, the international community points to the Taliban’s governance as the primary driver of the humanitarian collapse, a tension highlighted in the source.

Who will the next generation of returnees become?

The United Nations warns that over half of the millions returning from Iran and Pakistan are women and children, many lacking skills or community ties. As these returnees arrive in a job‑scarce, aid‑starved nation, the pressure on families to resort to child marriage is expected to rise, according to the report.