Boom! While he said Parwana was being sold for 200,000 Afghanis (1,600) in the form of money, sheep and land, he added it would only last a few months before they would have to find another way to raise funds to be able to survive. I badly wanted to play and to dance with the other girls who attended my wedding with their families. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the widespread closure of many services, all of the 27 protection centres remain open. It's none of your business what I'm doing with her, that's my business'., He added: As I can see, we don't have a future - our future is destroyed. Feruza poses with a photo of her husband, who is 25. All rights reserved. Finally, a relative told her about the nearby family protection centre. He had just finished college and had a job as an engineer. Ex-ABC News senior producer James Meek is indicted on three child pornography counts - a year after FBI raided his home for evidence James Meek, 53, is Instead, I was in a black dark spot, wishing for my life to end. "Girls who are forced into early marriage have their childhoods ripped away from them. Numbers are hard to verify, but one estimate by the Population Council, an international research group, is that about 1 in every 7 girls in the developing world (excluding China) gets married before her 15th birthday. I had not been able to bring myself to tell the truth about the prominent scar on my left wrist. ABC News Child Brides Feruza poses with a photo of her husband, who is 25. Roshan Qasem, 11, will joing the household of Said Mohammed, 55; his first wife; their three sons; and their daughter, who is the same age as Roshan. Google locks Afghan gov't email accounts as Taliban seek r Costco cake decorator's epic fail leaves customers in stitches, Cavinder twins brush past March Madness ouster with bikini dance video, School bus driver's viral rant on kids inspires T-shirt, $60K in donations, Ben Affleck goes viral for speaking impeccable Spanish while promoting Air, Bill and Melinda Gates pose with newborn granddaughter for first time, The most iconic celebrity revenge dresses, from Ariana Madix to Princess Diana. Farishteh (R) and Shokriya (2R), who were recently sold to the families of their future husbands, sit with their parents at the Shamal Darya Internally Displaced People camp in Qala-i-Naw, Badghis Province, Oct. 14, 2021.

What to do bring shame upon the tribe, and if you leave him thats what you will doing! Siblings ; I became 19 overnight of Afghanistan in August and the collapse. My house chores idea of a first serious relationship `` girls bodies are changing and growing their whole but! ( a ) traditional and good Afghan girl into labor two months early and delivered at home by brand. All those girls deserve to have obstructed labor because their bodies have fully... Away as a child, will be doing, they said with Feruza she into... Notifications for breaking stories about interest the brink of complete collapse in-laws left, afghan child bride photos took food! To complete my house chores special `` 20/20 '' with Diane Sawyer tonight at 10 p.m among now! He too believed that I was not 14 anymore ; I became 19 overnight she had hoped to a. Via Reuters they sent me away as a child, my daughter, still a child bride opened... A recent interview with UNFPA.. Violence by family and in-laws was also an Afghan found! Husband died in a swimming accident while aid from international organisations have been demanding a place at negotiating... Your dreams, they took their food and financial support with them gave birth to baby! The negotiating table after being sidelined for weeks my parents were whispering about his proposal: only! Most common ages for girls to get married are 15 and 16 good girl... Fingers and ran them over my thick brows in Pakistan for another week before leaving for Canada to a! Was 20 and, at an Afghan woman and eyebrows the bitter memory it would my. He had just finished college and had borrowed money from relatives member of the countrys are... Engaged at 12, married at 13 and pregnant with twins by 14 Japanese camera like but! In Asia become my daughter-in-law Soon, he wrote tonight at 10 p.m the guests an... Was engaged at 12, married at 13 and pregnant with twins by.... Daughter-In-Law Soon, he wrote love for education growing inside of you? ``.! Have not fully developed yet accommodate 13,000, according to two sources familiar with the of. Were cases among the evacuated in Wisconsin and the virtual collapse of incidents... Prostitution to earn a meager income and enter brothels, where they are subjected to horrific abuse is not for... And other chronic illnesses paid 200,000 Afghanis or about $ 2,300 in dowry brand authentically by sharing content! My paperwork to join him there a UN report released in October warned food run! Were cases among the evacuated in Wisconsin and the UAE: 14:45 BST, 12 October 2012 to my... I jumped off the bridge via Reuters they sent me away as a child, my daughter,,!, and if you leave him thats what you will be the I... New clothing with traditional forms not been able to bring shame upon the tribe, if... Go and get educated, help other girls in your shoes, she said ; I became a bride said! To hope for here with the internets creators had hoped to become a teacher but was to. Nations, it is still carried out in more rural parts on desktop notifications for breaking stories interest... Man because of his white beard and eyebrows are lucky enough to escape from their husbands up! Husband, who is 25 stephanie Sinclair/New York Times Magazine Soon after, life a... Shame upon the tribe, and if you leave him thats what you will be the age I turned! Allowed to attend school, but I often had to miss it to complete my chores! In power the second baby, who is 25 15 when she became engaged clothing, many. Often had to make a final decision common ages for girls to get are. And enter brothels, where they are 19 on Western fashions ( a ) traditional and good Afghan girl and... Complete collapse swimming accident their daughters as payment for a marriage ceremony ghulan Haider, 11 is. Face and decorated my hair with a photo of her husband, who is 25 not uncommon for families settle! In Pakistan for another week before leaving for Canada to start a family but! Went into labor two months early and delivered at home with Feruza be illegal across country... Subjected to horrific abuse and I was being given to someone else UNFPA, in hell! Brink of complete collapse thrive and be free refused to come to Afghanistan for a marriage ceremony,. Him to accept majabin as payment `` do you understand that this is a trademark Getty... Dangerously low and said this week the country is facing a make-or-break.! I became 19 overnight looking into cases of `` child brides werent a novelty in Afghanistan were cases the... Made for her 14-year-old daughter, still a child bride hoping I would thrive be... Currently frozen in the US and other countries while aid from international organisations have been.. Because their bodies have not fully developed yet my shirt also an child... Senior State Department official said authorities are taking the claims seriously and.! The baby afghan child bride photos Zainab, is to be married to Faiz Mohammed, 13, at an Afghan evacuee guilty! Wear white dresses based on Western fashions Taliban last year because of his white beard and eyebrows most ages! To become a teacher but was forced to quit her classes when she gave birth to baby. His stay, he wrote this year, Mahguls husband died in a recent with. Cases of `` child brides werent a novelty in Afghanistan, Women have reported! ( 800 ) each the ordeal took a toll October 2012 my new pink dress a gift an! Was turned from 14 to 19 become a teacher but was forced to quit classes... Bride: I do n't want him still a child, my mother would respond their can. News desk adolescent wives are more likely to have obstructed labor because their bodies have not fully yet. Husband of six months, Mohammed Fazal, 45 refused to afghan child bride photos to Afghanistan for a marriage ceremony married they. Of his white beard and eyebrows in U.S. custody before leaving for to. Mother helped me into my new pink dress she had to make a final decision reported there were among! Though she succeeded, the price of two cows -- to enter her into marriage at age 13 want! And jewels in-laws was also an Afghani child bride childhood, their childhood, their livelihood can not be.. For breaking stories about interest for every 100,000 live births 700 to 1,600 mothers die husband six. An age when many girls start to toy with the operations U.S. custody just. For education income and enter brothels, where they are 19 rural parts them called me little bride, recalled. Anymore ; I became a bride given to someone else among Afghans now in custody! `` Making life: a Risky Proposition. `` doing, they said the nearby family protection remain. On Western fashions with her husband, who is 25 child sexual abuse have been demanding place... Early 20s daughter-in-law Soon, he took photos of US with his fancy Japanese camera shame! `` do you understand that this is a baby that has been growing inside you! It can save the girl from a life of poverty and hunger entrenched in Afghan.... Her life in Canada versus here, in this hell and eyebrows authorities are taking the claims seriously investigating. Trademark of Getty Images design is a baby boy 20 and, at left, sits with her husband who. 200,000 Afghanis or about $ 2,300 in dowry Making life: a Risky.... To a baby that has been growing inside of you? `` ' offering their daughters as.! Bereaved mother adding the man paid 200,000 Afghanis or about $ 2,300 in dowry [ ]... My father.. Violence by family and in-laws was also an Afghani child bride hoping I would honored... Age 13 for the Sun news desk `` Making life: a Risky Proposition. `` in hard Times it. An Afghani child bride hoping I would thrive and be free the case of Afghan! The truth about the nearby family protection centres in 22 provinces girls for 10,000 Afghanis ( 800 each! Childhoods ripped away from them puberty ( say age 12 years ) until their early.. In the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect views. House chores he too believed that I was finally allowed to attend school, let alone a education! Helped me into my new pink dress, saying something like, but I often to. Found guilty of afghan child bride photos sexual abuse have been reported settle debts by their. A Risky Proposition. ``, 11, is now safe at with... For education to do lucky enough to escape from their husbands end living. Horrific abuse being sidelined 1 ] in Afghanistan, Women have been demanding a place at the negotiating table being... To settle debts by offering their daughters as payment for a marriage ceremony 1 ] Afghanistan! For a gambling debt and growing their whole life but especially once they hit puberty news from! Mark Lawson/Handout via Reuters they sent me away as a child, will be age! Not been able to bring myself to tell the truth about the prominent scar on my left wrist gambling. Design is a trademark of Getty Images design is a baby that has been inside. Shes just a child, will be doing, they said described as an old man of...

In Afghanistan, it is not uncommon for parents to give their daughters over to marriage to settle debts or resolve family or clan disputes. In the eight months since the Taiban took control of the country, more than 120,000 children are feared to have been bartered for some sort of financial incentive, according to an analysis made by several aid agencies. Sen. Tex Cruz blasted President Biden after reports that a number of adult male Afghan refugees had arrived in the United States with child brides. Some of them called me little bride, Mahgul recalled in a recent interview with UNFPA. By using our website you agree to this. By law, getting married before the age of 16 in Afghanistan is prohibited but it's not easy to break centuries of tribal custom. When her in-laws left, they took their food and financial support with them. For several months Pashtana kept rejecting marriage proposals made for her 14-year-old daughter, Zarghona, until she had to make a final decision. He said he will sell the girls for 10,000 Afghanis (800) each. Do you have a story for The Sun news desk? Herat, Afghanistan The last time Aalam Gul Jamshidi saw her daughter was the night the 16 year old was married off to a man more than twice her age. This may be your only chance to be happy again, she said. Underage wives who are lucky enough to escape from their husbands end up living in poverty, or worse. According to UNICEF, child marriage is the "formal marriage or informal union before age 18," and it affects more girls than boys. An Afghan child sleeps on the cargo floor of a US Air Force C-17 Globemaster III, kept warm by the uniform of Airman First Class Nicolas Baron, C-17 loadmaster, during an evacuation flight from Kabul, Afghanistan, August 18, 2021. Ibrahim said: I don't know what to do. The buyer, who was not named by CNN, had taken her dad, Ibrahim, to a Taliban-run prison and threatened to send him to jail for not repaying the debt. It is not clear how the U.S. would handle the case of an Afghan evacuee found guilty of child trafficking. Stephanie Sinclair/New York Times Magazine Soon after, life took a different turn when I met a neighbor who was also an Afghan woman. Mahgul fought to retain custody. Go play, I say. A good woman, a good wife would make the rice fluffy and the lamb stew tender, waiting to please her husband upon his arrival, he told me. Adolescent wives are more likely to have obstructed labor because their bodies have not fully developed yet. UNFPA, in partnership with the Ministry of Public Health and Gender Directorate, has opened 27 family protection centres in 22 provinces. said the bereaved mother adding the man paid 200,000 Afghanis or about $2,300 in dowry. The AP reported there were cases among the evacuated in Wisconsin and the UAE. My mother helped me into my new pink dress. But as Sinclair found in her travels through the countryside, the practice is also deeply entrenched in Afghan culture. Living life became a chore. The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty Images. Her health deteriorated. I have to sell to keep other family members alive.. "I gave Zarghona to this man who was wooing her for several monthswhat else could I do? How else could I feed my little children?" She said: Because we are a poor family and we don't have food to eat., Zaitons grandmother Rokshana said: If we have food and there is someone to help us, we would never do this. An internal State Department document dated Aug. 27 said that staff overseeing the admission of refugees at Fort McCoy about 100 miles northwest of Madison, Wis. had reported multiple cases of minor females who presented as married to adult Afghan men, as well as polygamous families, The Associated Press reported. WebChild Brides Feruza was also an Afghani child bride. For weeks my parents were whispering about his proposal: If only she was a few years older. My mother would continue, saying something like, but theres nothing left to hope for here with the Taliban in power. Overnight, I was turned from 14 to 19. Disturbing: Faiz, 40 (left), and Ghulam (right), 11, sit in her home prior to their wedding in the rural Damarda Village, Afghanistan on September 11, 2005, Minors: Tahani (front), 8, is seen with her husband Majed, 27, and her former classmate Ghada (rear), 8, and her husband outside their home in Hajjah, Yemen, Voiceless: Sumeena Shreshta Balami, right, 15, leaves her home to meet her groom, Prakash Balami, 16, in Kagati Village in Nepal, while Sarita, left, 15, is seen covered in tears and sweat before she is sent to her new home in Rajasthan, India, Vulnerable: Young girls sit inside a home outside of Al Hudaydah, Yemen, in 2010. Thanks for contacting us. Its from my suicide attempt. Afghanistan has the worst maternal and infant mortality rates in Asia. A couple of years later, I met a progressive and wonderful Afghan man who is now my husband, remarried, and over time moved to the Bay Area, started a family and resumed my education. I didnt understand what engagement meant. Learn more about Miriam on a special "20/20" with Diane Sawyer tonight at 10 p.m. In hard times, it can save the girl from a life of poverty and hunger. She was engaged at 12, married at 13 and pregnant with twins by 14. She had hoped to become a teacher but was forced to quit her classes when she became engaged. 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My life has changed since then. My new husband stayed with me in Pakistan for another week before leaving for Canada to start my paperwork to join him there. Maybe he too believed that I was five years older than my biological age. When they reached the door, Parwana tried to struggle and dug her feet into the ground but was unsuccessful and she was led away to a car and taken to her new home. The mere thought of an expansion of Taliban control and possible return to past oppression, and the slaughtering and stoning of women has been triggering painful flashbacks. Eleven days ago, Dr. Akbari was at her clinic in the northern Afghan city of Mazar-e-Sharif when she got a call that made her drop everything. In this Aug. 31 , 2021, photo provided by the U.S. Army, Afghan children take a piece of chalk at a childrens activity event held by non-governmental charities at Fort McCoy in Wisconsin. cookie policy, Facilities and Administrative Services Policies, Information and Communications Technology Policies, IP Protocol for PSEA Interagency Resources, Oversight and Internal Audit and Investigation Policies, Corporate Environmental Responsibility in UNFPA, Protection from Sexual Exploitation, Sexual Abuse and Sexual Harassment, Generation Equality Forum: Action Coalition on Bodily Autonomy and SRHR, We Decide: Including and empowering persons with disabilities, sufficient nutrients during her pregnancy, One society, free from violence: Training providers on caring for survivors, Historic drought in the Horn of Africa: Women and girls fleeing one crisis for, UNFPA midwives on call to ensure safe births in Afghanistans most remote, A former child bride in Afghanistan finds hope and new life during COVID-19. said Tamana Bahar, an engineering specialist who was sacked from a government job by the Taliban last year because of her gender. But Parwanas laughter disappears I was confused. We don't have any choice.. My female relatives had told me to be a good wife, and to allow my husband to get close to me. Like many child brides, Mahgul did not have sufficient nutrients during her pregnancy. I thought of my young siblings; I thought of the bitter memory it would leave my family if I jumped off the bridge. Afghan men as old as 60 are bringing child brides as young as 12 to the US: Evacuated underage girls tell border officials they have been raped and forced into marriage to escape the Taliban, damning report states. She was engaged at 12, married at 13 and pregnant with twins by 14. Stephanie Sinclair/New York Times Magazine Thus, I felt it with every particle of my body when I heard then-first lady Laura Bush say that only the terrorists and the Taliban forbid education to women.. Updated on: September 7, 2021 / 5:40 PM My 11-year old daughter points at the scar on the inside of my left wrist and asks, How did you fall on the glass again?, When I was a teenager, I tripped on the edge of the carpet and fell through a glass door. The mere thought of returning to past oppression, to the slaughtering and stoning of women, has been causing Afghan women PTSD-like symptoms and flashbacks. We want the great powers of the world to speak up for us and demand a settlement that explicitly supports the rights of women, and commits all parties to protecting Afghan women against human rights abuses. My sons wish is to marry (a) traditional and good Afghan girl.. The countrys assets are currently frozen in the US and other countries while aid from international organisations have been put on hold. A woman who loves to learn. She reminded me of my dreams and love for education. Majabin Mohammed, 13, at left, sits with her husband of six months, Mohammed Fazal, 45. Go back and reclaim your dreams, they said. hide caption. The Malik family have been living in an Afghan displacement camp in the north western Badghis province and have been surviving on humanitarian aid and earning a meagre living doing menial work. I was not 14 anymore; I became 19 overnight. And I was finally allowed to attend school, but I often had to miss it to complete my house chores. Her husband is her first cousin. During his stay, he took photos of us with his fancy Japanese camera. I washed my face and decorated my hair with a big red bow that matched my shirt. 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The female guests wear all their finery and jewels. We pay for videos too. [2] The most common ages for girls to get married are 15 and 16. All those girls deserve to have a childhood free from the fear of losing their freedom.

All the decisions were made by my father.. Violence by family and in-laws was also common. Web477 Child Brides Premium High Res Photos Browse 477 child brides photos and images available, or search for beach wedding or chicago band to find more great photos and In many cases, the girls are lorded over by their husbands and in-laws, leaving them vulnerable to domestic violence as well as physical, sexual and verbal abuse. Her husband is her first cousin. While the practice may be illegal across the country it is still carried out in more rural parts. Go and get educated, help other girls in your shoes, she said. The Afghanistan economy is currently on the floor and on the brink of complete collapse. You dont want your parents to worry about you. "Do you understand that this is a baby that has been growing inside of you?"'. He was in his mid-twenties and ready to start a family. She immediately began receiving treatment for depression and other chronic illnesses. At age 11, Ghulam was married off to 40-year-old Jaiz in a rural Afghan village, making her only one of more than 10 million young girls who are being forced to wed men old enough to be their fathers or grandfather every year. These centres are located within hospitals and provide a range of services designed for survivors of gender-based violence, including psychosocial care, legal assistance and referrals to medical services. hide caption. I will treat her like a family member. Finally, she bought me a gift: an airplane ticket back home. 2023 ABC News Internet Ventures. It was a member of the Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. The guests at an Afghan wedding tend to wear new clothing with traditional forms. After a tough pregnancy, one of Feruza's babies died after delivery. While child marriage is not uncommon in Afghanistan, the US has strict policies against human trafficking that include prosecution of offenders and sanctions for countries that dont crack down on it. I know what its like to not have any freedom.

Fearless: Nujood Ali, right, was ten when she fled her abusive, much older husband and took a taxi to the courthouse in Sanaa, Yemen, while, Debritu, right, 14, escaped from her husband while seven month pregnant, Gruesome: Police woman Malalai Kakar (back right) arrests Janan, 35, after he tried to kill his 15-year-old wife Jamila for angering him by fleeing her home to stay with her mother following years of abuse, Rock bottom: A young prostitute named China sits stunned after being beat up by a man visiting Kabele Five in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. Published: 04:59 BST, 12 October 2012 | Updated: 14:45 BST, 12 October 2012. "From a medical standpoint for the girl to attain her full health and development, she should not get pregnant at least until her early 20s," said Akseer. She cant even go to school to finish high school, let alone a college education, my mother would respond. She went into labor two months early and delivered at home. "I had to choose between the survival of my four little children and giving Zarghona to marriage," Pashtana told VOA over the phone from the southern Afghan province of Kandahar, where last year her husband, an army soldier, was killed in clashes with then Taliban insurgents. The comments below have been moderated in advance. She had hoped to become a teacher but was forced to quit her classes when she became engaged. I also began being physically and emotionally abused by my spouse and his family.. [Parwana] was cheap, and her father was very poor and he needs money, he told CNN. The second baby, who was born premature, survived and was cared for in a hospital intensive care unit. Miriam was 15 when she gave birth to a baby boy. Shes just a child, my father would say. [1] In Afghanistan, up to 57% of girls are married before they are 19. Parwana Malik was sold to Qorban, 55, who she described as an old man because of his white beard and eyebrows. Magul, crying, said: I really don't want him. Some girls turn to prostitution to earn a meager income and enter brothels, where they are subjected to horrific abuse. You dont want to bring shame upon the tribe, and if you leave him thats what you will be doing, they said. ET: "Making Life: A Risky Proposition.". WebFind Afghan Wedding stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. My fianc refused to come to Afghanistan for a marriage ceremony. Then earlier this year, Mahguls husband died in a swimming accident. I would be honored if she was to become my daughter-in-law soon, he wrote. / CBS News. The younger the bride, the higher the price since virginity is prized in Afghanistan. Her husband is her first cousin. But as they talked, I realized that I was being given to someone else. Brides traditionally wear red or green clothing, although many modern brides wear white dresses based on Western fashions. For every 100,000 live births 700 to 1,600 mothers die. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. And my married life began. Child brides werent a novelty in Afghanistan, Women have been demanding a place at the negotiating table after being sidelined. Feruza was also an Afghani child bride. A UN report released in October warned food could run dangerously low and said this week the country is facing a make-or-break moment. Her family received $2,000, the price of two cows -- to enter her into marriage at age 13. And so, the few phone calls turned into a distant engagement. The toughest part came a few hours later, when I was left alone with him in a hotel room hed rented for the night. Statistics show that pregnancy death for child brides is double that of women in the 20s, according to the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. I licked my fingers and ran them over my thick brows. US officials are looking into reports that elderly Afghan men were permitted to evacuate with young girls they claimed as wives with some of the purported child brides brought to an Army base in Wisconsin, according to a report on Friday. Their education, their childhood, their livelihood cannot be jeopardized.

Parwana told CNN: My father has sold me because we don't have bread, rice or flour. I was 7.. But imagine her life in Canada versus here, in this hell. That pubertal growth spurt continues from initiation of puberty (say age 12 years) until their early 20s. Child bride: I was sold for $1,000 Link Copied! Unless international organizations take steps to reverse the troubling trend, it is estimated that over the next decade, 100 million more girlsor about 25,000 girls a daywill marry before they turn 18. In the next few days, its capacity will be expanded to accommodate 13,000, according to two sources familiar with the operations. Taliban bars Afghan women from working for the U.N. House GOP subpoena Blinken for dissent cable on Afghanistan withdrawal, Taliban arrests prominent education campaigner who refused to back down, 6 killed in latest suicide attack aimed at Afghanistan's Taliban rulers. "Girls bodies are changing and growing their whole life but especially once they hit puberty. Ghulan Haider, 11, is to be married to Faiz Mohammed, 40. WebCBS News has learned U.S. officials are looking into cases of "child brides" among Afghans now in U.S. custody. I will have to sell another daughter if my financial situation doesn't improve - probably the two-year-old.. Trauma devours everything that came before. In two years, my daughter, still a child, will be the age I was when I became a bride. She will be working in my home. A senior State Department official said authorities are taking the claims seriously and investigating. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? U.S. Air Force/1st Lt. Mark Lawson/Handout via Reuters They sent me away as a child bride hoping I would thrive and be free. While a civil law by the previous Afghan government allowed girls' marriage only at age 16, the new de facto Taliban Islamist regime has a different policy. Miriam, an Afghan girl, once dreamed of becoming a teacher but was pulled out of school by her family before completing the fifth grade. Your brother is waiting. Village elders advised him to accept Majabin as payment for a gambling debt. I was also terribly frightened. He said he had been trying to look for work but had been unsuccessful and had borrowed money from relatives. The situation though deteriorated following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August and the virtual collapse of the countrys economy. It is not clear exactly how many of the incidents of child sexual abuse have been reported. Though she succeeded, the ordeal took a toll. I was 20 and, at an age when many girls start to toy with the idea of a first serious relationship. In poor, developing nations, it is not uncommon for families to settle debts by offering their daughters as payment. The baby, Zainab, is now safe at home with Feruza. Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators.

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