Displaced Afghans selling kidneys, children to survive

New Delhi, Jan (IANS) Displaced families living in a camp in the capital city of Balkh province of Afghanistan have sold their children and their kidneys for funds to survive, Tolo News reported.

The displaced families escaped heavy conflict between the Islamic Emirate and former government forces before the fall of the republican government in the northern provinces of Balkh, Sar-e-Pul, Faryab and Jawzjan.

A charity committee is helping displaced families with food and cash aid in order to dissuade them from selling their children and kidneys.

The price of a child is between 100,000 to 150,000 Afs and the price of one kidney is 150,000 to 220,000 Afs, the report said. The families are living in a camp in Mazar-e-Sharif, the capital of Balkh province.

The families said that they were forced to make such decisions due to poverty, the economic problems in the country as well Covid-19's outbreak.

"We are overwhelmed with problems. No one pays attention to us. We are in deep trouble," said a displaced person. Every family has around two to seven children.

Dilbar is a war-displaced person whose family is struggling with starvation. Dilbar said she had no choice but to sell her kidney to take care of her children.

"I was rescued by my operation. My child was sick. I took her to the hospital for treatment but the doctors told me her treatment would not be done," she said, the report added.

These families were helped by a charity committee to stop them from selling the kids and kidneys.

The charity committee provided cash aid and food for thousands displaced and vulnerable people in Mazar-e-Sharif.

The head of the charity committee, Mohammad Sadiq Hashimi, called on national business people to boost efforts to help the people in need across the country.

"There were some sisters who were ready to sell their kidneys --some of them have already sold their kidneys. I saw some families who were selling their children. We were able to help them," he said.