Selling your own children, heartbreaking courage.

It's probably not great to put it here in case it puts anyone at risk, true.

Can anyone who wants it message me and I'll send it?

This is indeed tragic but I have no idea what the answer is.
As others have said aid in the form of money would just be siphoned off by the evil regime in power there.

I did notice on the Sky film that some of the mothers were only teens yet they were described as having several children already.

There's a severe drought and harsh winter, too, with thousands displaced from their homes.

There seems to be an assumption that 'we' can't help - but we can. Charity funds won't be stolen by the Taliban.

Although the global community has cut off non-humanitarian aid, our donations are desperately needed for food and shelter:

Unicef, The World Food Programme, the International Committee of the Red Cross or UK for UNHCR are reliable.

Please beware, though, - and don't give to unknown organisations - as they are often scams (yes, scammers are really sick b*******s, aren't they?).

www.gov.uk/government/news/charity-regulator-urges-donors-to-support-registered-charities-to-help-those-affected-by-the-crisis-in-afghanistan

That is probably the best channel to go through Hetty thanks for that.

Yes please. I would donate to this. Discretion assured.

I have given the link to those who messaged me... I can't validate it, so you'll have to go with your gut feeling of doing what you feel is right x

Hetty58

www.gov.uk/government/news/charity-regulator-urges-donors-to-support-registered-charities-to-help-those-affected-by-the-crisis-in-afghanistan

Thank you Hetty58.

Yes, I would like the name too, please.

Save the Children recently had a petition on Facebook.
Chang.org.uk I think it was.

I am going to contact them personally to find out what their role is in Afghanistan . Will gladly donate to them if they are active in helping these people.

crazyH

I hope these babies are going to good homes who will love and care for them …I hope they are not bought for nefarious purposes

Are you for real? This is a fanatical Muslim regime nothing at all like the Muslims we know and love here at home! These little girls are no more than breeding stock! Why don't governments wake up! And spend more time thinking up solutions this horrendous issue instead of wondering how to screw us over for money and mess about deciding how to celebrate the queen's ruddy jubilee?

Yes I lived in syria and there were specific people we were directed to who were helping , in particular muslim teenagers to leave a similar situation. They needed to be rescued and then helped to find the work they liked so that they could support themselves. . We ended up helping 3 girls who came to Damascus and then onward to germany where we had other contacts too and so they were able to start a new life and support each other. So you need to find people you can trust, and yes often underground church groups were already working around the situation. Then we can support charities that we know do this kind of work. You feel sick that you can not help all of them but even 3 girls were 3 lives helped. A group of us gave a sum monthly to ensure they had clothes or pots and pans etc and most of all we helped them to learn another language. Once they were reasonably competent in german or english they were able to get into translating work and teaching arabic etc.This is of course not sorting out the overall situation but it is better than nothing in my view

Me too please.x

The Taliban are in control of this Muslim country and the West (mainly UK and USA) have failed to substitute a convincing regime. Surely other nations in the Arab world should help their fellow Muslims? Perhaps aid would be better received from them? They are reluctant to get involved no doubt because of strong links to the West and their need for trade (oil) and arms supplies. These poor people are caught in the crossfire of extremism, politics and greed. The West has failed in their mission to de radicalise this country and cannot just march back in to a sovereign nation and take over without a war which would cost VAST amounts of money and lives and no doubt gain the censure as it did before from very many nations including Russia. Sadly, I think their is little major that we can do except engage with the Taliban on a diplomatic level and urge them to accept humanitarian help from the WORLD through the UN and not from the distrusted and largely loathed Anglo American alliance.

Thank you Hetty I have sent a donation.

Please be aware of hundreds of scam sites purporting to be “charities”.
Only donate when you are absolutely certain the money will be used for its true purpose.
Apparently they all appeared in the last few years. ?

It’s truly awful - in fact words can’t express. What can we do / I’m at a loss

Little girls (and female babies) are often sold as brides in Afghanistan (this is nothing new) BUT they usually stay with their families until they're old enough to go to their new husbands (who are normally MUCH older) but now families can't feed them so they are going when they are sold. It IS heartbreaking (and medieval). Thanks for posting this and for the information about how to help.

My dd has personal contacts in Afghanistan and recently raised money to send there on an ongoing basis.
There is food available but banks are closed and people can’t get to their money to buy it.

Emotionally, I agree: this is dreadful.

Logically, however, I would like to point out that everywhere in the poorest countries of the world some parents see no other choice than to sell their children, unless they choose to kill them.

Rationally, I know that this is an extremely complex issue, not only in Afghanistan, but everywhere in the world where some people do not earn enough to feed and raise their children.

As a teenager or young adult, I would immediately have agreed with those that say we should denote more to charities to help. Now I am not so sure.

Not, I can assure you, because I have become hard-hearted in my old age, but due to various factors.

By Western standards I have been, and still am, poor, which of course is a completely different level of poverty to that lived through elsewhere, but that is not the point I want to make.

What I do want to say is this: having to depend, even just once, on charity is demeaning. Something you only do if you can find no other decent and legal option.

The only really good solution would be a fairer distrubution of money, food, medicine, education - in short of all the benefits we take for granted in the west.

I do not know, nor I fear, does anyone else, how this can be brought about without it either creating a feeling in the poorer countries that they are being treated with the scant respect that those who receive social security in the West ´know only too well, or without it creating a state of dependency on the part of the poorer countries on richer ones - something that will also undermine their citizens' self-repect.

I am NOT saying we should do nothing. I am simply cautioning against making the same well-meaning mistake as the Victorian era. That of believing that by giving of our own superfluity, we can solve poorer people's problems. Probably doing so will solve some problems, but it will assuredly create others.

I believe help to self-help is the only viable course, but as long as any country is governed by a tolitarian and or fundamentalistic government, it is not possible to help them, nor am I personally willing to help a society that regards women as less valuable than men, whether it is to be found in Afghanstan or elsewhere.

The Disaster Emergency Committee has an Afghan Crisis Appeal which brings together 15 UK well respected charities to coordinate fundraising and who are working in Afghanistan.

It’s a terrible thing to be happening. Unimaginable really, we have it so good compared to so many. There is also so much corruption that many people don’t even receive food or donations. I have no answers, I just thank god how lucky we are. I dread to think what those poor babies and children will go through…

What a desperate situation. I feel so sorry for them but what can be done? If we send money then the Taliban will just get hold of it and buy more guns etc.

It’s unfair to blame the UK. How on earth could we have fought the Taliban alone?
This is on Biden. He didn’t have to implement Trump’s withdrawal policy.

I too am heartbroken by reports from Afghanistan. It is possibly worse because it is man made, poverty as a direct result of the Taliban's policies. This is a difficult thing to say, but over the years we have become used to seeing dreadful reports of poor people's lives becoming poorer, of people who live hand to mouth no longer being able to do so, but somehow, to me at least, this is worse. The people we see who are starving, selling their children are people who were teachers, professional people just a few months ago. Women who were working as lawyers, doctors, are now unable to feed their children or keep them warm. These are educated people like your children, your grandchildren. As I said, I am not saying they are more deserving of our help or compassion, it just seems more close to our own lives and experiences. Clumsily put perhaps, sorry. I too would like to donate, knowing that it will go to those who need it, not to those who are causing this humanitarian disaster.

Ukraine next?