By Hafiz ullah Storai Sherani
ISLAMABAD
A heartbreaking final video showing one of the 19 Afghans who died while crossing the border into Iran from Aghhanistan has left the public outraged and shocked. The man in the video is covering his head in the severe heat, and is seen speaking to the camera.
“Pray for me, I am dying, there is no hope of survival now. May everyone forgive me and waive my rights.”
The tragedy occured when 19 Afghan citizens were crossing illegally into Iran through the desert region of Nimruz province in southwestern Afghanistan, but they could not withstand heat and thirst. According to reports, those who died belonged to the Qulghi village in the eastern province of Badghis, who had left their homes together in mid-July 2026 in search of employment.
A local Afghan journalist (on condition of anonymity) told Voicepk, “During their journey through the desert areas of Nimruz, ‘Reg-e-Lalo‘ and ‘Dasht-e-Margo‘, their vehicle broke down,” he said. “In this part of the year, the temperature there remains around 45 Celsius, and spending a few hours without water ends up being fatal. In this border region, it is not just the intensity of summer, but even during winter, the temperature drops dangerously low. Last December, 18 Afghan migrants died due to severe cold.”
He says he recieved information regarding the incident after the vehicle’s driver managed to reach a village in Nimruz in a state of severe distress, dehydration, and thirst, pleading with local authorities for help.
According to sources at the Nimruz Provincial Hospital and provincial government spokesman Abdul Mutawakkil Tauhidi, a search operation was launched immediately upon receiving the news. In the final days of July, the bodies of the first 5 individuals were recovered, and later, the bodies of 14 more individuals from the same group were retrieved completely buried under the sand from the “Reg-e-Lalo” area of the Chahar Burjak district.
Abdul Rahman (pseudonym), a resident of Qulghi village in Badghis, stated that these 14 young men belonged to his village, having left home about a month ago, and now in August, their bodies were received.
According to the local journalist, after details of the incident emerged, Gul Muhammad Qudrat, spokesman for the Nimruz Police Command, issued an official clarification stating that these individuals became stranded due to severely harsh weather conditions and the grueling, ruthless environment of the desert, ultimately succumbing to extreme thirst and exhaustion.
Tauhidi informed the media that the administration has intensified operations against human smugglers involved in illegal border crossings, appealing to citizens and their families not to place their loved ones’ lives in such deadly journeys based on the false promises and consolations of smugglers.
Video goes viral
In the tragic video that went viral on social media, a young man named Hayatullah is seen speaking to the camera during his final moments.
In the video, another individual can also be heard calling out to Hayat ullah and asking for forgiveness.
In his final message, Hayat ullah addressed all his relatives and friends, stating that this was the last time they would see him, and if he owed anyone a debt, his brother would repay it as best as he could, and if possible, people should forgive him.
In response to the virality of this video and the growing dangers of human trafficking, Afghan Ministry of Interior spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani clarified government policy in a statement to the national broadcaster RTA.
“Afghan authorities are firmly continuing their fight and operations against illegal human trafficking networks.”
According to the Afghan journalist, the families of those who have lost their lives have been given a meagre amount by the government.
“The Taliban’s Department of Disaster Management has announced an aid of 20,000 AFN for each of the families of the 19 young men who died in the Nimruz desert,” he said, an amount which amounts to approximately 300 US dollars. These young men had attempted to enter Iran through illegal (smuggled) routes due to unemployment, dying of extreme thirst and hunger in Dasht-e-Margo.”
The heart-wrenching incident and video have sparked a wave of severe anger and grief across social media. According to international Afghan journalist Miska Safi, this tragedy is proof of the helplessness and plight of the Afghan people, illustrating how citizens are forced to undertake such perilous journeys out of sheer desperation.
Afghan social activist Hamid ullah, referring to the bodies buried in the desert and sand, remarked that though the deserts of Nimruz concealed the remains of the oppressed individuals, they could not suppress their cries. He criticised the government, demanding that instead of remaining limited to statements, it should think of providing employment by promoting industrial, commercial, and business activities, adding that youth should be provided jobs on a merit basis so that citizens are not forced to lose their lives in deserts in this manner.
In response to all these criticisms, public economic distress, and allegations of unemployment, central Afghan Taliban government spokesman Zabih ullah Mujahid presented the government’s stance in recent days while sharing details of economic and ministerial achievements with the media.
He stated that Afghanistan’s total trade volume reached approximately 14 billion US dollars this year, and the value of the Afghan currency appreciated by 6 percent. He further claimed that approximately 200,000 people were provided employment in the mining sector, and new job opportunities are also being created through projects launched by Da Afghanistan Bank.
However, analysis by global financial institutions points to another side of the situation. According to monthly reports by the World Bank, general inflation in Afghanistan dropped from 8 percent in May to 7.6 percent in June. Although the World Bank acknowledged in its report that an increase in household demand, relative price stability, and income growth supported the economy, the report concluded with the clear finding that this economic growth in June is insufficient to improve the standard of living for ordinary citizens and remedy the dire economic situation.
