Six-Year-Old Afghan Girl Married To 60-Year-Old Man For 200,000 Pakistani Rupees

The Taliban's media office in Helmand said on Sunday, 30 August, that the girl's father arranged the marriage and received the money. It said the father was addicted to drugs and was facing financial and personal difficulties.

The case was reported in Garmser district, where poverty and economic hardship have increased concerns over child marriage and the vulnerability of children from struggling families.

The report follows another case reported by local sources in Helmand's Nad Ali district, where an 80-year-old man allegedly married an eight-year-old girl.

The cases have renewed concerns about child and forced marriage in Afghanistan, particularly among girls. Poverty, displacement, food insecurity and limited access to education can leave children more vulnerable to early marriage and other forms of exploitation.

The reported marriage comes amid a wider humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, where millions of people continue to face economic hardship and difficulties meeting basic needs. For families struggling to afford food, housing and healthcare, financial pressure can increase the risk of harmful coping practices, including arranging early marriages in exchange for money.

Girls are particularly vulnerable because restrictions on education and employment have sharply limited their opportunities. Rights groups and humanitarian organisations have repeatedly warned that prolonged poverty, combined with restrictions affecting women and girls, can deepen their exposure to forced marriage, exploitation and other abuses.

The latest case highlights how economic hardship can intersect with longstanding child-protection concerns in Afghanistan, leaving young girls at heightened risk when families lack access to adequate financial and social support.

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