Severe Poverty in Ghor, Afghanistan Drives Families to Sell Children, Reports Say

Severe Poverty in Ghor, Afghanistan Drives Families to Sell Children, Reports Say
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Ghor province in central Afghanistan is experiencing a deepening humanitarian crisis marked by extreme poverty, unemployment and widespread hunger, with some families reportedly being forced to sell or give up children to survive, according to recent reporting by the BBC World Service.

Local residents and interviews cited in the report describe dire economic conditions in the provincial capital Firozkoh and surrounding villages, where many people struggle to secure basic food and income. In some cases, parents have said they are considering selling young daughters into marriage or to relatives to cover living expenses or urgent medical costs they cannot otherwise afford.

Healthcare workers in Ghor have also reported rising rates of child malnutrition and infant deaths linked to maternal malnutrition due to food shortages and limited access to medical services.

The BBC report and other accounts highlight that the economic collapse in Afghanistan — driven by widespread unemployment, cuts in international aid and restrictions on women’s education and employment since the Taliban’s return to power — has intensified hardships in one of the country’s poorest regions.

International humanitarian organizations have consistently warned that continued deterioration of living conditions in Afghanistan could expose more children to extreme risks, including forced early marriage, loss of education and harmful labor, if urgent assistance and long‑term economic solutions are not implemented.