As dawn breaks, hundreds of men gather at a dusty square in Chaghcharan, the capital of Ghor province in Afghanistan. They line the roadside hoping someone will come along offering any work. It will determine whether their families eat that day. The likelihood of success, however, is low.
Juma Khan, 45, has found just three days of work in the past six weeks that paid between 150 to 200 Afghani ($2.35-$3.13; £1.76-£2.34) per day. My children went to bed hungry three nights in a row. My wife was crying, so were my children. So I begged a neighbour for some money to buy flour, he says. I live in fear that my children will die of hunger. His story is in no way unique.
In Afghanistan today, a staggering three in four people cannot meet their basic needs, according to the UN. Unemployment is rife, healthcare struggling, and the aid that once provided the basics for millions has dwindled to a fraction of what it once was. The country is now facing record levels of hunger, with 4.7 million—more than a tenth of Afghanistan's population—estimated to be one step away from famine. Ghor is one of the worst-affected provinces.
Men in this region are desperate. I got a call saying my children hadn't eaten for two days, says Rabani, his voice choking up. I felt like I should kill myself. But then I thought, how will that help my family? So here I am looking for work. When a local bakery opens, the owner distributes stale bread among the crowd, and within seconds, the loaves have been pulled apart, with half a dozen men clutching onto precious pieces.
As a last resort, some fathers have resorted to selling their children. Abdul Rashid Azimi, for instance, says he is willing to sell one of his daughters to feed the others. I'm poor, in debt, and helpless. I come home from work with parched lips, hungry, thirsty, distressed, and confused. My children come to me saying 'Baba, give us some bread'. But what can I give? Where is the work?
On the other hand, Saeed Ahmad shares a heartbreaking story of having already sold his five-year-old daughter after she suffered from appendicitis and a liver cyst. I had no money to pay the medical expenses. So I sold my daughter to a relative. If I had money, I would never have taken this decision, he explains, acknowledging the dire state he finds himself in.
The loss of aid has hit families hard. Just two years ago, Saeed and his family received food assistance but have since witnessed a drastic cutback in support. Reports indicate that this year’s aid received is 70% lower compared to previous years. Severe drought has further exacerbated this critical situation.
Rates of infant mortality due to malnutrition are alarming. Families are now left with no option but to navigate this nightmarish reality alone or make gut-wrenching decisions about their children's futures. The story of Ahmadi village where children are routinely seen in deteriorating health serves as a grim reminder of the humanitarian crisis unfolding in plain sight.
No longer can the international community ignore the pleas for help from a population on the brink of despair and survival.
