Trapped in Taliban Nightmare, Starving Afghans Forced to Sell Kidneys to Feed Their Children

As the world focuses attention on the persisting crisis in Ukraine, the unending catastrophe plaguing Afghanistan has all but escaped the headlines.

Yet the Afghan people’s immeasurable pain continues. Just months after the Taliban took back power, their nation is reportedly in tatters, with persecution, chaos and poverty abounding.

Amid the chaos and consideration, AFP reports that a “growing number” of Afghans are selling their kidneys to survive intense hunger. Some are selling the organ for just $1,500.

The problem is so pervasive one area near Herat, Afghanistan, has been dubbed “one-kidney village.” The practice was reportedly illegal before the Taliban takeover but is no longer, according to The Telegraph.

One 32-year-old man named Nooruddin told AFP he sold his kidney to provide for his family, but he is now in pain and regrets his decision.

“I had to do it for the sake of my children,” he said. “I didn’t have any other option.”

Nooruddin’s 12-year-old son is now the family’s breadwinner, bringing in 70 cents per day shining shoes.

And Nooruddin isn’t alone. The Telegraph spoke with Aziza, a mother of three who must choose between selling her kidney or selling her baby daughter.

“My children roam on the streets begging,” she told the outlet. “If I don’t sell my kidney, I will be forced to sell my one-year-old daughter.”

This is the plight of many Afghans after decades of war and chaos that intensified after the Taliban’s rise to power in August following the United States’ quick and chaotic withdrawal.

Please continue to pray for Afghanistan. {eoa}

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