Sold Before She Was Named: Afghan Mother Sells Newborn Daughter Amid Severe Poverty
A baby girl in Gulistan district of Farah province was sold for 25,000 afghanis within the first minutes of her life, before she had even been given a name. The baby’s mother says severe poverty and her inability to provide food for her four other daughters forced her to make the decision.
Hajira, a pseudonym, the baby’s mother, told Zan News that around 35 days ago she gave birth to her fifth daughter at the government health centre in Gulistan district and, with the help of a midwife, sold her newborn baby to a resident of her village.
According to her, the transaction took place within the first minutes after the birth, before the family had even had the opportunity to choose a name for the baby.
Hajira says her husband is unemployed and the family cannot afford even the most basic necessities of life. She also says she had previously offered several of her other daughters for sale, but had not found a buyer.
Speaking to Zan News about her decision, she said: “Our financial problems were severe. I could not support another daughter as well. I had no choice. I said that rather than let my four other children die, I would sell this one so I could buy food for the others.”
Hajira’s words reflect the severe economic hardship faced by a family struggling to meet even the most basic needs of daily life. Her concerns, however, are not limited to poverty. The future of her daughters in Afghanistan is also among this mother’s worries.
She said: “Today, the Taliban have confined women and girls to their homes. With what hope was I supposed to raise this girl? What I want is for the government to help everyone who is in need.”
Selling a newborn to cover living expenses is not a decision that can be explained solely by one family’s economic circumstances. The case also raises questions about the lack of effective support for vulnerable families and the conditions in which parents may come to see selling or giving away their child as the only way to cope with hunger.
This is not the first time Zan News has spoken to a family that says it sold a newborn because of economic hardship.
Zan News previously reported the story of a family in Herat province that sold their baby girl for 12,000 afghanis at a private hospital.
The husband of Salima, the baby’s mother, told Zan News that his wife needed surgery to give birth, but the family could not afford the costs of her treatment or their living expenses.
He said that before the surgery, and with the coordination of a midwife, he sale of his daughter.
The man told Zan News: “If I had not done this, both my daughter and my wife would have died. Now, at least even if my child is not coming home with me, I feel reassured that she has survived.”
Zan News has also previously documented, in a video report, the hardships faced by a family in Ghor province, where an elderly woman spoke about her decision to sell her two young grandchildren because of poverty and hardship.
The woman said desperation and destitution had forced her to put her two grandchildren up for sale for a small amount of money.
Meanwhile, human rights activists say the recurrence of such accounts highlights the need for independent investigations into these cases and the situation of families living in extreme poverty.
Hashim Qurbani, a human rights activist, told Zan News: “Poverty can push families into extremely difficult circumstances, but children should not pay the price by losing their security and their right to care.”
He stressed that the authorities in power and aid organisations have a responsibility to identify families in need and provide them with food and financial assistance.
The sale of newborns and families’ attempts to sell their children raise concerns not only about the economic crisis, but also about violations of children’s rights and the lack of effective support for vulnerable families in Afghanistan.
