When the U.S. decided to conclude the withdrawal of its troops from Afghanistan in August 2021, the country immediately fell back into the hands of the militant group the Taliban, who has since then been running the country. Now, Afghans who are suffering from poverty are resorting to selling kidneys to survive hunger under Taliban rule.
According to Faithwire, Afghans are now in "immeasurable pain" as the country continues to suffer "persecution, chaos, and poverty." In fact, the situation is so dire that there is a "growing number" of Afghan citizens selling their kidneys to survive hunger under Taliban rule.
France 24 reported that a man named Nooruddin, who was "jobless, debt ridden, and struggling to feed his children" was forced to sell his kidney. In the western city of Herat, many people have resorted to this practice, so much so that the community has been nicknamed "one kidney village." Some have sold theirs for just $1,500.
According to The Telegraph, a woman named Aziza who has three children was forced to choose between selling her kidney or selling her baby daughter. She recounted how her children were forced to "roam on the streets begging."
She said that if she does not sell her kidney, she would have to sell her one year old child. This is the quality, or lack thereof, of life that Afghans are living today under Taliban rule.
Back in September 2021, the United Nations issued a warning that up to 97% of Afghans could face poverty in mid-2022 unless drastic actions are taken to address the problem. Basing their claim on a study conducted by the United Nations Development Programme, the U.N. said that Afghanistan "teeters on the brink of universal poverty," with up to 97% at risk of "sinking below the poverty line" unless a major response is launched.
When the country fell under Taliba rule months ago, Afghanistan faced a financial crisis, which also caused the worsening of the humanitarian situation following two decades of war. The foreign aid that used to help make things better in Afghanistan has slowed down as hardline Islamists were also cut off from foreign Afghan assets.
Unfortunately, the selling of kidneys to survive hunger under Taliban rule is widely unregulated. Surgeon Mohamad Bassir Osmani, who works at one of two hospitals where most of Herat's transplants were being done, said that a donor merely needed a video and written consent to donate.
"We have never investigated where the patient or donor comes from, or how. It's not our job," Osmani said. He added however that the Taliban are looking to crackdown on the trade and are forming a committee to address the problem.
Up to 24 million Afghans now need "lifesaving" aid, a sharp 30% increase from 2021. Aside from poverty, many Afghans also face intense persecution especially after the U.S.' exit in August 2021. Christian Afghans continue to "live in fear" that they would either be slaughtered by the Taliban or "die of hunger."
