Orphans in the grip of Taliban: Fears grow over fate of unaccompanied children

KABUL: A number of staff members and owners of private orphanages in Afghanistan have expressed concern over the Taliban’s decision to shut down these centers. According to them, the Taliban is closing all private orphanages, confiscating their properties, and transferring the children to government facilities. Orphanage staff warn that this jeopardizes the future of orphaned children, with a potential risk of ideological exploitation, including recruitment for suicide attacks and terrorism. Some citizens emphasize that placing thousands of unaccompanied children in the hands of the Taliban could lead them towards extremism and brainwashing, posing a threat to the country and the region. The Taliban’s Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs has announced plans to move orphans to state-run orphanages and close private facilities. Sources indicate that the Taliban plans to convert the central orphanage in Kabul into a large religious school, which previously hosted over a thousand children before the group’s takeover. This comes as the U.S. State Department reported in its 2025 Trafficking in Persons report that the Taliban recruits children as soldiers and that cases of sexual exploitation and forced labor have also been reported.