August 5th, 2023 by Admin

Child trafficking in Afghanistan for Yeke the girl in the red dress was sold by her father because the family is poor. She's lucky her new parents care about her Fujiki is not alone many families have little choice, but to sell their own children especially in the rural provinces of Afghanistan. Across the country Taliban violence has given rise to a huge wave of many refugees were forced to leave everything behind since the Taliban took power again. Afghanistan's grinding poverty has grown worse and it's children who suffer most. A village in the Faryab province Turkmenistan lies just beyond the mountains the capital Kabul is far away most people here live in homes made of mud bricks there's little work and poverty is rampant. Maria and her four children are going hungry she's already given away two other sons and sold one daughter for the equivalent of 280 euros.

I couldn’t feed them or provide clothing because I didn’t have the money. I do wash work as a baker and as a maid, that's how we try to make ends meet. The family's water supply is in these yellow canisters; there’s no clean running water in the village. Maria's husband died since then she's been on her own and with several children. She's unlikely to find a new husband at this time. I work, but it's not enough, we didn't have oil and other things we needed. That's why I was forced to give my children away what became of her sons is unclear her daughter fared relatively well she now lives with a couple in a neighboring district. Her new mother Hajara says they had no children of their own. She was just 20 days old when we adopted her now, she's one and a half. Hajira and her husband had tried to have a child of their own for 10 years. My life has changed for the better, I was really depressed. Now I spend a lot of time with my child and I'm happy with what else could I do.

I work from early in the morning until late at night and in the end, I can do nothing but sit here and weep. The radical Islamist Taliban returned to power here in August 2021. Checkpoints in the streets of Kabul like this one has been a fact of life for years, but the new restrictions affect women the most. Women may only leave the home fully veiled the burqa was already compulsory during the first Taliban rule and now it is again. Most aid organizations left Afghanistan when international troops withdrew. Experts say this has exacerbated what was already a serious economic crisis. Poverty has grown since international humanitarian aid has been reduced it's having a major impact on development in Afghanistan. A refugee camp in the capital, hundreds of people live in tenths in the north of the city like here in the Saroje Shamali district.

Afghanistan is struggling to provide for the many internally displaced persons. After decades of fighting about 700,000 people out of a population of nearly 40 million have been forced from their homes. City government workers distribute blankets, carpets and other relief supplies and security personnel dressed in orange are here to prevent the situation from getting out of control. The greater the poverty the greater the risk the children will be sold. We headed to the province 800 kilometers west of Kabul. It’s a region with a particularly large number of refugees and many had to leave all their possessions behind. Trafficking in children is widespread here in destitution here is getting worse according to our information. About 40 families have sold one of their children for 50 80 or 100 000 Afghani. That is for 500 to 1 000 euros. Abdul didn't know any other way to help himself either. There's no work here and no one helps us. That's why we sell our children because we're hungry. i mean what else would we give our children away. If I don't give one away her other children will start, but selling a child rarely makes a difference. Long term most of the time the families don't escape poverty, but I only got half in the end.

Now I've lost my child the doctor says it's caused me to suffer from mental illness. I suffer from anxiety and I'm restless. How can I ever get past this. I can't stop thinking about my daughter. To child traffickers’ girls are more valuable than boys some are married off at an extremely young age. Human rights organizations have tried to end this practice for 20 years without success. Other girls are sexually abused and sold to neighboring countries for the same purpose. Many boys suffer a similar fate. The Taliban and other extremist groups also have their sights set on boys. Hoping to indoctrinate them from an early age to sell them again. For example, to other provinces or even to other countries.

You're talking about full-on human trafficking which is something completely different than adoption. Of course, it could destroy these children's whole future if they end up with an extremist group or in the hands of rapists. In refugee camps like Shaidai more and more girls are facing the prospect of their childhood ending early. Indeed, too early once married off usually to a much older man a girl is expected to be of service around the clock, do the cleaning, cooking, tend to the household, livestock, and more. For some the burden is too great, the suicide rate among young women has been rising for years. At a pediatric clinic in a suburb of Herrat, young mothers line up to receive medical treatment for their severely malnourished children. it's estimated that about half of the Afghan population suffers from malnutrition, but this clinic treats children who are particularly weak.

The doctors give them high calorie supplements to build up their strength. The situation is deteriorating in this country and children especially are suffering. Today I have been heartbroken to see that families are willing to sell their children to feed other family members. It's totally heartbreaking. So, it's the right time for the humanitarian community to stand up and stand with the people of Afghanistan. The aid agencies estimate that on average 170 Afghan children die of malnutrition every day.

Some stories do end well, at least for the time being. Folieke was sold by her father. He hadn't asked his wife first when she found out, her husband Nasa says: she asked him every day to bring their daughter back. I haven't had work for six or seven months now. Every morning I ask for work in the marketplace, but there is none. Therefore, I was forced to sell my daughter for 115 000 I had to pay back my debts. When my wife found out I’d sold her child she was angry with me. I couldn't go home for a month or two. I thank God her child is back with us now. I'm so happy to have her. As Afghanistan slides ever deeper into poverty, the children are at ever greater risk. In the years since the Taliban resumed control the humanitarian crisis has grown worse. It's abundantly clear that without foreign aid the suffering in the country will continue. To ensure a better future Afghanistan will have to do more to protect its children.

In Afghanistan there is a growing practice called Bacha Bazi where they would exploit young boys. It is a practice that was banned a long time ago but is slowing reviving back into Afghanistan. Many believe it is casual to do this practice. However, there are many who believe it is wrong. There have been many attempts to stop this practice, but to no avail. The practitioners need to realize that this practice is wrong, and that it must be taken care of.

Bacha Bazi translates to “boy play”. It is an ancient practice brought back by “powerful warlords, former military commanders, and wealthy businessmen” (“Introduction”) after it was a banned during the Taliban era. However, it is slowly reviving in the northern areas, and Kabul. A reporter by the name of Quraishi says that this is “a culture where wealthy Afghan men openly exploit some of the poorest, most vulnerable members of their society” (“Introduction”). These rich men will exploit boys, and use them for dancing, and sexual activities.

These men strip the boys of their masculine identity by making the boys dress up as women, wearing women clothing, fake breasts, and bells on their ankles. After dressing the boys to their taste, they would take the boys to a party, and make them dance for hours. Furthermore, some men take the boys to hotels to sexually abuse them (Qobil). The ages of these boys range from 11-19 years old. Most of the boys are thrown out by their prime age of 18, or 19 like Jawad, who is 18, and is about to be released. His owner Assadula explains that once “he starts growing a beard, his time will expire.

Sending Healing, peace and Prayers to Afghanistan and Its People

Afghanistan has been ravished by war for decades. The people have had to endure very difficult times because of that with their lives and families destroyed. It is a tragic reality of war, and the children suffer the most through this disaster. Let’s hope that the people of Afghanistan will be protected, their land saved from forces of evil and peace be restored in the region forever. Let’s send healing and prayers to the children so they can be reunited with their families, protected and safe.