Afghan Families Face Hunger as Aid Cuts and Drought Worsen

Hundreds of men gather each morning at a dusty square in Chaghcharan, capital of Ghor province, hoping for daily labor that will allow their families to eat. In two hours of observation, only three men secured work. Juma Khan, 45, has worked three days in the past six weeks at rates of 150 to 200 Afghani per day.

He said his children went to bed hungry on three consecutive nights and that he borrowed money from a neighbor to buy flour.

The United Nations reports that three in four people in Afghanistan cannot meet basic needs. Record hunger now affects 4.7 million residents, more than one-tenth of the population, with Ghor among the provinces hardest hit. Aid received so far this year stands 70 percent lower than in 2025.

Azimi said he is willing to sell one of his seven-year-old twin daughters for marriage or domestic work so the remaining children can be fed for at least four years. Their mother, Kayhan, said the household eats only bread and hot water. Saeed Ahmad said he sold his five-year-old daughter, Shaiqa, for 200,000 Afghani to cover medical costs after she developed appendicitis and a liver cyst.

He said the buyer will take her in five years to marry one of his sons. A local elder reported that child mortality, mainly from malnutrition, has risen in the past two years, though no formal death records exist. The Taliban government attributes current conditions to an economy inherited after foreign forces withdrew in 2021 and points to planned infrastructure projects as future remedies.