By Abdul Matin Sarfaraz
KUNDUZ CITY: Poverty, cold weather, and hunger forced a woman to sell her four month baby in Kunduz.
Mahboba, 26, whose lower limbs are paralyzed is living in a dark muddy room in Sar- dara area of Kunduz city.
UNICEF, Jan.22, 2008: About 600 children under five die every day in Afghanistan due to pneumonia, poor nutrition, diarrhoea and other preventable diseases... The country is ranked second in the world in terms of its maternal mortality rate with about 1,600 deaths per every 100,000 live births.
She told Pajhwok Afghan News while cooking in a muddy oven: "We have no food, my three children died due to cold weather; I was compelled to sell my four months old daughter only for 500 afghanis a day back to the owner of the house"
She said: "I begged every one and even the owner of the house did not helped me and finally I had to sell my daughter"
Mahboba has two sons aged 9 and 10 years.
Sakhi, 9 said trembling with cold weather: "why did my mother sold my sister, I miss her"
Mahboba said her 40 year old husband is sick and is unable to work.
Muhammad Hassan, Mahboba's husband who could not speak properly said: "there is not one in our country to help, let me die in helplessness"
He said no one would sell his children, but poverty and hunger made me sell my daughter.
Din Muhammad, owner of the house said three children of Muhammad Hassan had died, so he bought her daughter for rescuing her life.
He said: "I have paid them 500 afghanis to buy food; I will not take the rent of the house and will provide food sometimes for them"
Din Muhammad did not comment when reporter asked him why he bought the girl instead of supporting the family without her.
Muhammad Zahir Zafari, Afghanistan Indpendent Human Rights Commission regional officer in Kunduz said selling children is against the human rights and humiliation to mankind.
He said they will investigate why a mother was compelled to sell her daughter.
Eng. Muhammad Omar, Kunduz governor said the incident was painful and the government will try to support such families.
The governor said he will assign a commission to investigate the particular case.