Kabul's poor families, even after over a decade of international intervention, are still reliant upon their children to make an income to enable them to meet the basic needs of food, warmth and shelter. In the winter, temperatures can drop to as low as minus 20 degrees, so the need for money is even greater.

Children can be found shivering with runny noses and chapped cheeks and fingers holding out their hands outside restaurants and hotels. They clutch magazines and books and those braving the snow covered streets, dodge the skidding cars to bang on their windows thrusting chewing gum or other cheap goods at the occupants and asking them for money.

There are no official figures for the number of street children, but estimates made by humanitarian organisations working in Afghanistan demonstrate that despite the aid programmes and ministries responsible for children's welfare, the problem has not been solved, even partially. There needs to be political will to resolve the situation, and a culture change that accepts that relying on children to support a family is wrong. Power holders and donors should provide the means for long term, whole family support for sustainable living to enable children to attend full time education