KABUL, Afghanistan: A survey has found that children of Afghan families returning from Pakistan who don't go to school are increasingly at risk of early marriage and child labor.

The survey by Save the Children reveals an alarming crisis in eastern Afghanistan, among the returnees from Pakistan. It cautions against an even more deteriorating situation as more than 3,500 Afghans return from Pakistan on a daily basis after Islamabad tightened regulations.

The survey is based on 379 interviewees conducted by the agency between Oct. 28 and Nov. 8 in five districts of eastern Nangarhar province. The poll gave a 5 percent margin of error. Parents facing poverty often feel the only stable choice they can make is to arrange a marriage for their child or to bring the children into the workforce. -AP