As dawn breaks, hundreds of men gather at a dusty square in Chaghcharan, the capital of Ghor province in Afghanistan. They line the roadside with weary faces, 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 United Nations. 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 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. The men here 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. The practice of underage marriage remains widespread in Afghanistan, particularly exacerbated by the Taliban's restrictions on education for girls. Abdul Rashid Azimi, a father torn by poverty, admits he is willing to sell his daughters to ensure the survival of his other children. If I sell one daughter, I could feed the rest of my children for at least four years, he says.
This crisis is not just about survival; it reflects the stark choices families are forced to make amidst desperation. With the international community providing less assistance due to the Taliban's policies, the situation worsens, trapping countless families in a cycle of poverty and expediting grim outcomes for the nation's children.
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 United Nations. 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 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. The men here 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. The practice of underage marriage remains widespread in Afghanistan, particularly exacerbated by the Taliban's restrictions on education for girls. Abdul Rashid Azimi, a father torn by poverty, admits he is willing to sell his daughters to ensure the survival of his other children. If I sell one daughter, I could feed the rest of my children for at least four years, he says.
This crisis is not just about survival; it reflects the stark choices families are forced to make amidst desperation. With the international community providing less assistance due to the Taliban's policies, the situation worsens, trapping countless families in a cycle of poverty and expediting grim outcomes for the nation's children.
