VANCOUVER, CANADA – The World Food Programme (WFP) says that worsening climate crises in Afghanistan are compelling some families to marry off their young daughters.
The UN agency released a video on X highlighting the story of a father who had to marry off his five-year-old daughter to ensure the survival of his other children.
The WFP stated, “The worsening climate crisis in Afghanistan sometimes forces parents to marry off their young daughters to save their other children.”
The development comes as the United Nations consistently reports high levels of poverty and need in Afghanistan. According to UN reports, nearly 24 million people in Afghanistan currently require humanitarian assistance, with more than 12 million facing severe hunger.
Afghanistan is experiencing severe climate change effects, including widespread water crises and increased food, health, and nutrition needs. The country also remains vulnerable to earthquakes, with nearly 400 reported in the past year.
Last month, heavy spring rains devastated much of northern Afghanistan, resulting in hundreds of deaths, the destruction of thousands of homes, and the loss of extensive agricultural lands.
Recently, UNICEF issued a statement marking the 1000 days of the Taliban ban on girls’ education beyond secondary schools, that the Taliban’s ban on girls’ education exacerbates the ongoing humanitarian crisis and has serious ramifications for Afghanistan’s economy and development trajectory.
“Education doesn’t just provide opportunities. It protects girls from early marriage, malnutrition and other health problems, and bolsters their resilience to disasters like the floods, drought, and earthquakes that frequently plague Afghanistan,” said Catherine Russell, UNICEF executive director.
An uptick in child marriages and the selling of children in Afghanistan has also been reported. A recent report by the Washington Post revealed that 118 girls aged eight to ten in Afghanistan have been sold as child brides due to extreme poverty.
The WFP notes that the critical conditions resulting from climate change often force Afghan parents to marry off their young daughters to ensure the survival of their other children. This issue has intensified following the economic collapse and the Taliban’s takeover of the country.
