Afghan Parents Sell Daughters into Marriage Amidst Severe Drought and Aid Cuts

In the face of crippling drought and reduced international aid, some Afghan parents are resorting to selling their young daughters into marriage to survive. Families in provinces like Badghis, where agriculture is the primary livelihood, have been devastated by years of poor harvests and water shortages. This has led to desperate measures, including the marriage of girls as young as two and five years old.

One mother, Gul Bobo, from the rural village of Tayz Nāwah, explained that the increasingly unstable weather patterns have severely impacted her husband's farming income. This financial strain has left them with no alternative but to marry off their daughters, despite their young age. "As a mother, I cried a lot, but I knew my husband had no choice," she stated, acknowledging the grim future her children face, including the expectation of abuse and early pregnancies.

The groom of her five-year-old daughter, Nazila, is 15, and the child is expected to join his household within the next few years. This practice is particularly prevalent in Badghis province, where approximately 95 percent of the population depends on rain-fed agriculture and livestock. Persistent droughts since 2018 have decimated crops and livestock, pushing many families to the brink.

Families are selling their children to repay debts, secure food, or pay for medical care. Bana, the mother of an 11-year-old named Gulalai, recounted selling her daughter to a shopkeeper in his late 40s to settle a debt. Her husband, Niaz Mohammad, justified the decision by saying, "We have to sacrifice a family member to save the others."

Many residents have migrated from rural areas to cities like Herat in search of work and humanitarian aid, which has significantly diminished. Aid to Afghanistan has been drastically cut, with the UN reporting that the country receives less than 70 percent of the aid it did previously. International organizations like World Vision International have highlighted the severe health risks associated with early marriage, compounded by the shrinking availability of medical facilities due to aid reductions.

Stories from affected families illustrate the depth of the crisis. Darellah, 15, who married at a young age and is now pregnant, expressed her distress, saying, "I am still a child… it cannot be a good decision to be married at that age." Her younger sisters, aged nine and 11, are also engaged.

In Khoshkian, eight years of failed harvests compelled Abdul Aziz to sell five daughters into marriage for prices ranging from 90,000 to 150,000 afghanis (approximately £1,000-£1,750) to clear debts. One daughter, Mazari, married at 12 or 13, is now in her late teens and has a toddler and a newborn. Despite the kindness of her husband and in-laws, she found the experience of early marriage very difficult.

Even when families receive bride prices, the money often provides only temporary relief. Sara, who fled drought-stricken areas to Qala-e-Naw, sold her 12-year-old daughter Aisha to a 20-year-old man to settle debts. The family remains unable to pay their rent and was recently evicted. Sara walked to the hospital to give birth to her last child due to the inability to afford transportation.

There is no legal age for marriage in Afghanistan, leading to arrangements made even before birth. Khomakha reported that her two-year-old daughter, Fatemah, was betrothed just three months after she was born. The family's urgency stemmed from their inability to afford transport for their eight-year-old son, who has blood cancer, to receive necessary hospital treatment. Khomakha fears she may never see her daughter again due to the long distance and cost of travel.