Akhtara, 29, lives in a one-bedroom home with her four children in Kabul, Afghanistan. At the age of ten, she married a rich, elderly man, who was later killed by a jealous nephew. The nephew, named Amanullah, killed her husband before asking her for her hand in marriage. The man left the city for Pakistan, but returned three years later to the mother's home.
When Akhtara opened the door Amanullah threw the acid in her face - leaving her with horrendous scars.
"On the night my husband was killed, I was overwhelmed with grief. Amanullah came and asked me if I wanted to remain a widow until I die or whether I wanted to marry him. He promised to give me money and look after me," Akhtara said.
"Three years after the death of my husband I heard a knock on the door. In my heart I thought he has come back to apologise for his actions.
"He immediately threw acid in my face. It felt like my face was on fire."
Akhtara has been unable to find work to support her four children since the attack and is forced to beg on the side of the road to support her children. She says they often go without - and survive on a diet of bread and tea.
The shocking images come as the United Nations General Assembly launches its International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
When Akhtara opened the door Amanullah threw the acid in her face - leaving her with horrendous scars.
"On the night my husband was killed, I was overwhelmed with grief. Amanullah came and asked me if I wanted to remain a widow until I die or whether I wanted to marry him. He promised to give me money and look after me," Akhtara said.
"Three years after the death of my husband I heard a knock on the door. In my heart I thought he has come back to apologise for his actions.
"He immediately threw acid in my face. It felt like my face was on fire."
Akhtara has been unable to find work to support her four children since the attack and is forced to beg on the side of the road to support her children. She says they often go without - and survive on a diet of bread and tea.
The shocking images come as the United Nations General Assembly launches its International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
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