Desperate Search for Work in Ghor Province
As dawn breaks, hundreds of men gather at a dusty square in Chaghcharan, the capital of Ghor province in Afghanistan.
They line the roadside hoping someone will come along offering any work. It will determine whether their families eat that day.
The likelihood of success, however, is low.
"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,"says Juma Khan, 45, who 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.
"I live in fear that my children will die of hunger."
Widespread Hunger and Unemployment
In Afghanistan today, a staggering three in four people cannot meet their basic needs, according to the UN. Unemployment is widespread, healthcare systems are struggling, and aid that once provided essentials for millions has drastically decreased.
The country is facing record levels of hunger, with 4.7 million people—more than a tenth of Afghanistan's population—estimated to be one step away from famine.
Ghor province is among the worst affected.
"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."
Khwaja Ahmad struggles to speak before breaking down in tears.
"We are starving. My older children died, so I need to work to feed my family. But I'm old, so no one wants to give me work,"he says.
When a local bakery near the square opens, the owner distributes stale bread among the crowd. Within seconds, the loaves are pulled apart as half a dozen men clutch precious pieces.
Suddenly, a man on a motorcycle arrives seeking one labourer to carry bricks. Dozens of men throw themselves at him.
In the two hours observed, only three men were hired.
Impact on Families in Nearby Communities
In nearby communities—bare homes scattered over barren, brown hills against the snowy peaks of the Siah Koh mountain range—the devastating impact of unemployment is evident.
Abdul Rashid Azimi invites us into his home and presents his seven-year-old twins, Roqia and Rohila. He holds them close as he explains the unbearable choices he faces.
"I'm willing to sell my daughters,"he weeps.
"I'm poor, in debt and helpless.
"I come home from work with parched lips, hungry, thirsty, distressed and confused. My children come to me saying 'Baba, give us some bread'. But what can I give? Where is the work?"
He hugs Rohila, kissing her as he cries.
"It breaks my heart but it's the only way to feed my other children."
"All we have to eat is bread and hot water, not even tea,"says their mother, Kayhan.
Two of her teenage sons work polishing shoes in the town centre, while another collects rubbish which Kayhan uses as fuel for cooking.
Forced to Sell Children for Medical Care
Saeed Ahmad reveals he has already been forced to sell his five-year-old daughter, Shaiqa, after she developed appendicitis and a cyst in her liver.
"I had no money to pay the medical expenses. So I sold my daughter to a relative,"he says.
Shaiqa's surgery was successful. The money for it came from the 200,000 Afghani ($3,200/£2,400) she was sold for.
"If I had taken the whole sum at that time, he would have taken her away. So I told him just give me enough for her treatment now, and in the next five years you can give me the rest after which you can take her,"explains Saeed.
Shaiqa puts her tiny arms around his neck, showing their close bond, but in five years she will have to leave to live with the relative.
"If I had money, I would never have taken this decision,"Saeed says.
"But then I thought, what if she dies without the surgery? This way at least she will be alive."
Decline in Aid and Compounding Crises
Just two years ago, Saeed and his family, like millions of other Afghans, received food aid including flour, cooking oil, lentils, and supplements for children.
However, massive cuts in aid over recent years have deprived a large majority of this life-saving assistance.
The US, once the top donor to Afghanistan, cut nearly all aid last year. Other key donors, including the UK, have also significantly reduced contributions. Current UN figures show aid received so far this year is 70% lower than in 2025.
Severe drought, affecting more than half the provinces, is worsening the situation.
"We've had help from no one - not the government, not NGOs,"says villager Abdul Malik.
Taliban Government's Position
The Taliban government, which took power in 2021, attributes some blame to Afghanistan's previous administration, which was forced out as foreign forces withdrew.
"During the 20 years of invasion, an artificial economy was created due to the influx of US dollars,"Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesman for the Taliban government, tells the BBC.
"After the end of the invasion, we inherited poverty, hardship, unemployment and other problems."
However, the Taliban's policies, particularly restrictions against women, are also cited as reasons donors have withdrawn support.
When asked, the Taliban government rejected responsibility for donors withdrawing, stating that
"humanitarian assistance should not be politicised".
Fitrat also highlighted Taliban plans to reduce poverty and create jobs through major economic projects, including infrastructure and mining initiatives.
While such long-term projects may help in the future, millions currently face survival challenges without urgent aid.
Rising Child Mortality Due to Hunger and Lack of Medicine
Mohammad Hashem's 14-month-old baby girl died recently.
"My child died of hunger and a lack of medicine... When a child is sick and hungry, it is obvious they will die,"he says.
A local elder notes that child mortality, mainly due to malnutrition, has increased significantly over the last two years.
There are no formal death records here; the graveyard provides evidence of the surge in child deaths. Counting graves reveals roughly twice as many small graves as large ones, indicating twice as many children as adults have died.
Conditions at Chaghcharan Provincial Hospital
At the main provincial hospital in Chaghcharan, the neonatal unit is the busiest. Every bed is occupied, some with two babies. Most infants are underweight and many struggle to breathe independently.
A nurse wheels in a small cot with newborn twin girls born two months premature. One weighs 2kg, the other just 1kg. Both are in critical condition and on oxygen.
Their mother, 22-year-old Shakila, is recovering in the maternity ward.
"She is weak because she had barely anything to eat when she was carrying them, just bread and tea,"explains the twins' grandmother, Gulbadan.
"That's why the babies are in such a condition."
A few hours after our visit, the heavier baby died before being named.
"The doctors tried to help her but she died,"her grandmother says the next day.
"I wrapped her tiny body up and took her home. When her mother found out, she fainted."
Gulbadan points to the surviving baby, adding,
"I hope she at least survives."
Nurse Fatima Husseini says infant deaths have become a frequent occurrence.
"There are days when as many as three babies die.
In the beginning, I found it very hard when I saw children dying. But now it has almost become normal for us,"she says.
Dr Muhammad Mosa Oldat, head of the neonatal unit, states the mortality rate reaches as high as 10%, which he describes as
"not acceptable."
"Because of poverty, the patient load is increasing every day,"he says.
"And here we also don't have the resources to treat the babies properly."
In the paediatric intensive care unit, six-week-old Zameer suffers from meningitis and pneumonia. Both conditions are curable, but doctors lack the equipment to conduct necessary MRI scans.
Medical staff report that the public hospital lacks medicines for most patients, forcing families to purchase medication from outside pharmacies.
"Sometimes, if medicines are leftover from the baby of a better-off family, we use it for the babies whose families cannot afford it,"Fatima explains.
Financial constraints force many families to make difficult decisions.
Gulbadan's surviving granddaughter gained some weight and her breathing stabilized, but her family took her home after a few days because they could not afford hospital care.
Baby Zameer was also taken home by his parents for the same reason.
Their fragile bodies will now face the challenge of survival without hospital support.
Conclusion
The situation in Ghor province and across Afghanistan remains dire, with widespread hunger, unemployment, and inadequate healthcare forcing families into desperate measures, including selling their children to survive.
Urgent humanitarian assistance is critical to prevent further loss of life and alleviate suffering.
