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Original poster

Feeling devastated after seeing this news about Afghanistan

455 replies

LovingLilacDuck · 19/05/2026 08:13

I stumbled across this on BBC — https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0q25dwj807o

I can’t stop crying. I feel so incredibly devastated that we live in such an unequal world. I cannot believe in 2026 people have to starve and children die — and girls be sold??? because of hunger. Goodness sake. That’s not right, it’s so inhumane. Seeing the tears on those tiny girls’ eyes and how fearful they are just breaks my heart so much, oh Gosh.

I just really feel sorry for these people who have to live under Taliban and suffer immensely. It’s so heartbreaking. And I know these people are not the only ones unfortunately…I just feel like we all have so much, more than we all need to and I wish we could just help the poor more as a whole world. But that doesn’t bring any profits does it???!

I wish I could do something to help, whatever that may be. Does anyone have a clue about what to do? I’d appreciate any insight. Thank you.

A man wearing a pink turban cuddles his small daughter close in front of a cracked mud wall

Afghanistan humanitarian crisis: Ghor's starving families

In Afghanistan today, a staggering three in four people cannot meet their basic needs.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0q25dwj807o

OP posts:
Thread gallery
19
Rubuxus · 17/06/2026 22:59

Auroraloves · 22/05/2026 16:53

Why can’t on the women come across instead of all the men?

They aren’t allowed out the house

Jane379 · 17/06/2026 23:00

SuperLemonCrush · 20/05/2026 19:17

Actually I don’t think it is “western privilege” I have never seen anything in the news from any famine hit area anywhere in the world like this. News usually features exhausted mothers doing everything on their power to keep their children alive, to their own detriment.
😥

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There are cases of mothers doing unimaginable things in some poverty hit areas. In the Philppines, a far more Westernised country, mothers and other female relatives in desperate poverty have let their children communicate with pedophiles via webcam to get money.

https://pcij.org/2021/05/29/the-filipino-mothers-selling-their-children-for-online-sexual-abuse/

The Filipino mothers selling their children for online sexual abuse - PCIJ.org

Online sexual exploitation of children surged during the pandemic, when many Filipinos lost their jobs. Tech companies reported more than 1.29 million images and videos of child abuse produced in the country in 2020 or triple the number in 2019.

https://pcij.org/2021/05/29/the-filipino-mothers-selling-their-children-for-online-sexual-abuse/

Rubuxus · 17/06/2026 23:01

GaIadriel · 21/05/2026 01:31

They never sell their sons. Or get up and work.

The article describes huge crowds of men standing by the road all day long waiting for work and how only one work offer was made for somebody to carry bricks, which caused a desperate scramble as all the men wanted it. They don't work because there is no work for them.

You shouldn't state your opinions as fact as they're clearly inaccurate. It's no different to when men say things like "women want equal pay but don't want to work as hard as men". Although that's possibly a more defensible statement as it seems there are always a lot more women moaning about 'male dominated jobs' than there are women who are prepared to step up and do these jobs.

And they'd probably sell their sons too if there was a market. Like how some cultures sell male children into servitude - e.g. Africans selling their sons to Arabs. Just like how more men would do sex work if there was a bigger demand for it, which is evident when you look at how many famous bodybuilders have done 'gay for pay' work. If there's demand and money to be made then people will do it.

Expecting a load of goatherders to take on a heavily armed militia is a bit naive. It's like asking why people in concentration camps didn't revolt despite outnumbering their captors a thousand to one. It's illogical to lump all the men together. It's more the Taliban and their subordinates, including men just trying to feed their families any way possible without getting beheaded. I'd imagine it's not unlike the covid period where many were keen to tell on their neighbours.

Edited
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The goat herders are the taliban!

Jane379 · 17/06/2026 23:01

Hallamule · 20/05/2026 20:41

Just because it's not in the news doesnt mean it doesnt happen. Certainly happens throughout Central and West Africa when families are in extremise. Used to happen in India, in Nepal, in China (not sure about now, but probably). Wife if you're lucky, servant if not.

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Exactly. A lot of terrible things rarely make the news.

Jane379 · 17/06/2026 23:06

Bringemout · 20/05/2026 05:36

Yes I would rather starve my 5yr old than sell her for sex so that her brothers could eat. I’m the monster.

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If this really is the situation, I can't blame the patents for trying to keep their children alive if there is really no other choice. The article suggested it's not just 'so brothers could eat' : they couldn't afford to feee daughters if they remained. Would it be better to sell brothers so the girls could eat? All of those options are terrible.

The question is : IS that the situation?

Jane379 · 17/06/2026 23:16

ReleaseTheDucksOfWar · 20/05/2026 07:26

Actually, you're the oblivious one with no knowledge of what actually living in that situation is like, pronouncing on high from afar. I think you've no idea who the monster is and what you'd do because you've not been in that situation of watching child after child die of hunger. If you're so quick to condemn all mothers and all fathers, why aren't you doing something about it? A good start would be getting out and about in the world and seeing just how some people have to live.

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This. We don't know the full story but it's possible the choice is between a dead daughter and a daughter 'married' to an abuser..

Jane379 · 17/06/2026 23:18

Borrowerdale · 19/05/2026 23:45

Death or a life of daily sexual torture followed by death at a very young age from childbirth age 10?

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So you think he should have let her die?

FernFaery · 17/06/2026 23:20

Jane379 · 17/06/2026 23:18

So you think he should have let her die?

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I would rather all my family died than sell one of my children to a depraved paedophile, yes.

Jane379 · 17/06/2026 23:22

Was it wrong then for the grandfather to stop the mother killing her children?

A terrible, terrible situation...

Reminds me of the case of Margaret Garner Toni Morrison based Beloved on. A hellish situation but I don't think she should have killed her baby.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Garner

Margaret Garner - Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Garner

FernFaery · 17/06/2026 23:23

Jane379 · 17/06/2026 23:22

Was it wrong then for the grandfather to stop the mother killing her children?

A terrible, terrible situation...

Reminds me of the case of Margaret Garner Toni Morrison based Beloved on. A hellish situation but I don't think she should have killed her baby.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Garner

Death isn’t the worst thing ever. A living hell is much worse. There are many things that I would much rather be dead than face. Being sold to a paedophile as a child is one of them.

Jane379 · 17/06/2026 23:25

FernFaery · 17/06/2026 23:20

I would rather all my family died than sell one of my children to a depraved paedophile, yes.

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I don't want to think I'd do that but I don't think I could let my children die either. Was there no other option, is the question?

It's worth noting that mothers have made similar decisions in places far less tribal like the Phillipines (which is also overall less poor):

https://pcij.org/2021/05/29/the-filipino-mothers-selling-their-children-for-online-sexual-abuse/

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/31/live-streaming-child-sex-abuse-family-business-philippines

Why do some parents do this? And is it better to let the children die? In both situations there must surely be some other option?

How child sexual abuse became a family business in the Philippines

Tens of thousands of children believed to be victims of live-streaming abuse, some of it being carried out by their own parents

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/31/live-streaming-child-sex-abuse-family-business-philippines

Emilesgran · 17/06/2026 23:26

Jane379 · 17/06/2026 23:18

So you think he should have let her die?

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It’s a long-standing tradition in that part of the country. It didn’t just begin because of the current situation. As to whether it was really a stark alternative between a dead or a sold child, well he would say that wouldn’t he? Did they ask the mother what she felt about it?

Jane379 · 17/06/2026 23:30

Emilesgran · 17/06/2026 23:26

It’s a long-standing tradition in that part of the country. It didn’t just begin because of the current situation. As to whether it was really a stark alternative between a dead or a sold child, well he would say that wouldn’t he? Did they ask the mother what she felt about it?

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It was a long standing tradition to marry girls of 10 or under?

Girls Not Brides is a great charity, they give the information that 10% of girls in Afghanistan are married before 15. Many more are married between 15 and 18. This suggests a lot of girls are married under 18, fewer but still many under 15.

The question is how old are the 10% mostly who are married under 15? Are the mainly 14-15 which is awful but not quite as bad as even younger? Or are they mostly younger than that?

Jane379 · 17/06/2026 23:31

Link, sorry :

https://www.girlsnotbrides.org/en/learning-resources/child-marriage-atlas/regions-and-countries/afghanistan/

And yes, what was the mother's opinion? I suspect Taliban rules also make them fearful of interviewing women

Jane379 · 17/06/2026 23:34

CoffeeAndCats3 · 19/05/2026 23:36

Did you read the article? She would have died without surgery which he could never afford. So the choice was either - death - or have another 5 years and then she is married off, at 10. The Dad not eating would not have solved this problem.

Awful decision to have to make. What a cruel world :(

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This, if that situation was true.

Jane379 · 17/06/2026 23:36

Octavia64 · 19/05/2026 22:56

@Twinandatwoyearold

to answer some of your questions:

homosexuality is not permissible in Islam. Therefore the religious leaders in Afghanistan are against bacha bazi.

however a religion being against something does not stop it happening. Christianity is often seen these days as a “peaceful” religion yet in medieval times bishops rode into battle with knights and the concession was that they didn’t have a bladed weapon as they were not supppsed to draw blood. So instead they carried maces and other such blunt hitting instruments.

child marriage is permitted in Islam with the canonical example being the marriage of the Prophet Mohammed to Aisha who was somewhere between six and nine at the time.

slavery is also permitted in Islam with the proviso that no Muslim may be enslaved. The Taliban have explicitly permitted slavery in the new laws introduced in Jan 2026.

A Muslim man is permitted to have sex with any of his female slaves. This is known as the doctrine of “what my right hand possesses”. He may not prostitiue them out to others, but he can sell them to anyone he chooses.

Yes, the OT allows slavery and 'marriage' to female captives but at least it doesn't allow child marriage as young as that. It allowed marriage at 12 for girls and 13 for boys but that's not as bad as 9...

Jane379 · 17/06/2026 23:37

ThePieceHall · 19/05/2026 22:10

Why does he not sell himself first? Or his boy children?

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Would selling boy children be much better? If there is no work, what would they sell the boys for?

Otoh the boys might be less at risk of sexual abuse, but obviously bacha bazi would be a risk...

Borrowerdale · 17/06/2026 23:38

Jane379 · 17/06/2026 23:34

This, if that situation was true.

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So the dad’s brother said ‘I am not prepared to help you but I will buy your young daughter, my niece, to be my sexual and domestic slave for the rest of her life, however long I may choose that to be’

Jane379 · 17/06/2026 23:39

Tableforjoan · 19/05/2026 22:24

Zero sympathy for human traffickers and if you sell your child that’s what you are.

Selling little children to pedos to become sex slaves and child brides. Rather than fight for your children and country. Scum.

Run away claiming you’re trying to better your women and girls yet leaving them to suffer. Yuk.

Always the men benefiting all the bloody time. While women and girls suffer.

Probably some men who leave are sending money back to their families, though I need more data on this.

Jane379 · 17/06/2026 23:40

Borrowerdale · 17/06/2026 23:38

So the dad’s brother said ‘I am not prepared to help you but I will buy your young daughter, my niece, to be my sexual and domestic slave for the rest of her life, however long I may choose that to be’

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In that case the brother is the evil one. I suspect there are a lot of men there taking advantage of their relatives' poverty like that.

Borrowerdale · 17/06/2026 23:40

Jane379 · 17/06/2026 23:40

In that case the brother is the evil one. I suspect there are a lot of men there taking advantage of their relatives' poverty like that.

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The dad selling his daughter is too.

Jane379 · 17/06/2026 23:41

Octavia64 · 19/05/2026 22:36

To be entirely fair, no Islamic countries apart from UAE have diplomatic relations with Afghanistan.

Pakistan and the Taliban have a notoriously difficult relationship. Iran does not recognise the Taliban as the government of Afghanistan but has what has been called a working relationship with them.

there are a fair few Islamic charities working within Afghanistan these days - here is one:

https://islamic-relief.org/where_we_work/afghanistan/

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This.

Jane379 · 17/06/2026 23:42

Borrowerdale · 17/06/2026 23:40

The dad selling his daughter is too.

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If there was literally no food and no other option and she'd die otherwise- is he? I don' think so.

The question is: WAS it that or death?

Jane379 · 17/06/2026 23:43

caringcarer · 19/05/2026 22:33

It is exactly the same principle. I sent money to World Food Programme. The more it's publisised the more people will send money.

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This.

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