Afghans struggle in face of drought
Pastor Dale Morgan
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*Afghans struggle in face of drought*
By Mark Dummett
BBC News, Kabul
But this year Deh Sabz, near Kabul, like much of Afghanistan, is dusty
and brown.
The river beds are dry and crops are failing since the winter snows, and
then the spring rains, were lighter than expected.
"It's a drought. Yes we can get some water from our well, but it's not
enough," explains Zahir.
He uses a generator to pump water into irrigation channels that keep at
least a handful of his melon fields watered.
But the cost of diesel is high, and Zahir complains he is only just
breaking even.
'Water ran out'
The drought is also affecting animals. In Kabul's main livestock market,
where cattle, sheep, buffalo and camels are for sale, the traders say
prices are falling.
Zahir's melon farm near Kabul is suffering
They say many herders and shepherds are choosing to sell their beasts
now, rather than wait for their fodder to run out.
Sher Shah was too late: "Three of my cows died. I've only got two left.
The water ran out, and so did the grass."
What makes things harder is that Afghanistan has only just recovered
from a devastating seven-year drought.
Now the United Nations warns that this year's drought could wipe out the
food stocks of 2.5 million Afghans.
That is on top of the 6.5 million the World Food Programme estimates
were already at risk of hunger.
Many of the worst-hit regions are in the south.
In Zabul province for example, hundreds of families have abandoned their
villages after their water supplies ran out.
"It's a hard drought, there is no water, our crops and gardens have
dried. Families have moved to towns as there is nothing in our own
villages due to drought," says Wali Muhammed, who recently moved to the
provincial capital, Qalat.
"Our irrigation tunnels have dried - we have no water and no crops," a
landowner, Kareemullah, said.
"We appeal to the government to help us dig new channels and build new
dams."
Poppies
But helping people in southern Afghanistan is difficult, since that is
where violence has escalated in recent months, as Taleban insurgents
battle US-led and Afghan forces.
According to Mullah Abdul Salaam Rocketi, a former Taleban commander and
now an MP for Zabul, the militants destroy or block government aid supplies.
The drought is another blow to the poor farmers in the rural areas
Saed Azam,
Counter-Narcotics Ministry
"Because of the insecurity the government and NGOs cannot get help to
these areas," he said. "They are trying to solve the situation, but they
don't know how."
Mullah Rocketi, who was given his name for being so good at firing
rockets at Soviet planes, says government corruption is also part of the
problem.
"The local officials are just out for themselves. They don't help other
people. They put the aid money in their own pockets," he said.
For now, most people do have food, but the UN warns that stocks could
run out by the winter.
What is at stake is not only the well-being of millions of people, but
also the government's fight against the drugs trade and poppy
cultivation - which in turn funds the insurgency.
"The drought is another blow to the poor farmers in the rural areas, and
of course it could be one of the reasons driving the Afghan population
to derive their livelihoods from poppies" Saed Azam, director of
communications at the Ministry of Counter-Narcotics explained.
Poppies grow well in dry conditions and can earn the farmers a much
higher living than other crops. "It's really sad," Mr Azam said.