Selling Children: Afghanistan's Silent Survival Trade

In Afghanistan’s worsening economic collapse, families are increasingly turning to the unthinkable act of selling their children to stay alive. Media reports from the Ghur region document several households that have sold young daughters to pay for medical treatment or to purchase food during periods of extreme hunger. One such case involved a father who received 200,000 Afghanis for his five-year-old daughter after negotiating that she would only leave after her critical surgery. These transactions are part of a broader crisis affecting millions. Nearly 75 percent of Afghans cannot meet basic needs, while five million face acute food shortages. United Nations figures show that 28 million people lived in poverty in 2025, with economic growth failing to match population increases.