World News for Students of English

05-01-2022 15:00

Food shortages are ravaging Afghanistan and forcing parents to sell their children, mainly daughters, in order to feed the rest of their family.

10-year-old Aziz Gul, who was sold into marriage, said that her family had nothing to eat at home. Aziz’s husband brought food that he bought for money that he himself earned by selling his own daughter into marriage.

A father of another girl, 7-year-old Hoshran, is going to sell her because of lack of money to get food for his family and medicine for his sick wife. He already sold one of his daughters to get medicine, and now, he’s looking to sell Hoshran for 200 to 300 dollars. The family, who bought Hoshran, are waiting until she is older.

Afghanistan’s economy was dependent on help, and it took a hit when the international community froze its assets and stopped funding after the Taliban took over. An estimated 3.2 million children under 5 are seriously sick from lack of food. According to experts, the situation in the country is worsening, and more than half the population has food shortages.

Difficult words: ravage (to destroy), take a hit (to be badly affected by something), freeze one’s assets (to stop a person or group from getting money or other help).

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