Afghan Girls Married Off as Infants Amid Rising Child Marriage Crisis

An 18-year-old Afghan girl has already given birth four times, a stark illustration of the escalating crisis of child marriage in the country. Since the Taliban regained control, doctors and humanitarian organizations report a dramatic surge in unions involving underage girls.

These marriages often see girls becoming mothers before they even reach adulthood. In some tragic cases, girls are "engaged" as brides while they are still infants. Families, driven by extreme poverty and debt, are resorting to selling their children into marriage as a means of survival.

The practice has severe consequences for the young girls involved, robbing them of their childhoods and exposing them to significant health risks associated with early pregnancies. The situation underscores the dire humanitarian challenges facing Afghanistan, particularly for its most vulnerable populations.