‘I am still a child, it cannot be good to be married’: how drought forces Afghan families to sell girls as brides
Climate-driven droughts in Afghanistan are forcing impoverished families to sell young daughters into marriage to pay off debts and secure food. The report highlights the devastating human cost of environmental collapse on vulnerable populations.
Why it matters
This story illustrates the intersection of climate change and human rights, showing how environmental crises exacerbate social issues like child marriage.
As climate breakdown pushes families to starvation, many feel forced to ‘sacrifice’ daughters to save siblings. Photographer Elise Blanchard travelled the country speaking to girls as young as eight, 10 and 14 who have been engaged or married to repay debts or pay for food
About this content Thu 15 Oct 2026 05.00 BST Share Prefer the Guardian on Google ‘I ’m not happy about this,” says 11-year-old Khatira, who was sold into marriage to repay debts, sitting in her home in Qala-e-Naw, capital of Badghis province in north-west Afghanistan . “She was healthy before her engagement, now she is worried and cries a lot,” says her 40-year-old mother, Noor Bibi.
When her 20-year-old husband-to-be comes to her home, Khatira runs away. Since her engagement, she has stopped going outside because she “is ashamed of having a husband in front of the other girls”, says her mother.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in