Strife torn Afghanistan, in the grip of a severe drought, has forced many families to sell young girls in order to buy bread and survive the harsh winter conditions.
Some girls, as young as 8 years, have been married to 22-year-old grooms. Worse! Others are being sold for as little as $2,000.
“We are not proud of it, but we have to do it,” says 58-year-old Abdul Zahir, head of the men’s council in the village of Houscha.
Years of drought in an arena where the US led war on terror have not made life any easier since the Taliban regime was brought down in 2001 has only intensified the economic hardships battle hardened country folks.
A second drought in three years has destroyed most of the crops and rendered the country deficient in food supplies. Aid under the World Food Program’s is not getting to the people where it is needed the most.
With the supply lines emanating from Quetta - Pakistan under constant attack from Taliban cadres, the little food grains that manage to pass through are able to barely reach the neighboring regions. The winter snows do not permit the supply lines to stretch into remote mountainous regions.
Western Afghanistan is the worst affected region and the American supported Karzai government has failed to deliver essential supplies into remote areas. Prices of vegetables have shot up by as much as 35 % and are beyond the reach of the poor.
With many families not able to provide anything beyond boiled water and sugar, the weakest link in the food chain - children are dying of malnutrition and the toll continues to mount as the winter drags on.
The battle-hardened tribes of Afghanistan have lived through Soviet occupation, a fundamentalist Taliban regime and expected the US led liberation forces to improve security of livelihoods and law and order in the country.
Poverty stricken tribes are back to growing and processing contraband opium and the resilient Taliban cadres are once again threatening to take over the land in lawless regions.
What should be done?
Focus of the war on terror should once again revert on Afghanistan. Perpetrators of the daring 9/11 World Trade Tower terrorist attack are still out there.
Economic reconstruction of the nation needs global assistance, to help the proud Afghans get back on their feet.
Lest more children and others die of starvation, international donor agencies need to provide food urgently to a weary people.
