Natural disasters, by and large, are major headaches, but they always pose a greater challenge and are more costly for countries like Afghanistan, where decades of war have destroyed much of its economic infrastructure. Besides war, Afghanistan is now faced with a serious threat of drought.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has found out that that over half of the country – 22 out of 34 provinces – has been hard hit by an unprecedented drought, affecting approximately two million people. In a statement, OCHA has warned that if Afghanistan is not supported in its endeavors to address the natural crisis, the situation can deteriorate in the coming six months. The United Nations has requested the international community to provide $719 million to assist the drought-affected communities.
After foreign aid, Afghanistan’s economy is mostly reliant on sectors for which water is a must. Agriculture and livestock are the only sources of income for the majority of Afghan people, and drought affects both sectors. If Afghan government, together with the international community, does not make necessary efforts to support communities during the dry spell, the problem can threaten the lives of millions of people in addition to the war.
Drought can take a heavy toll on Afghanistan especially now, as on the one hand, foreign aid has dropped, but on the other hand Afghan government has failed to implement economic projects that could lead to the creation of permanent jobs for people. If Afghans are deprived of agriculture and livestock as their sole sources of income in addition to other areas, the fallout is an inevitable hunger catastrophe.
The embattled Afghan government should not forget or underestimate the growing menace of drought. Before things escalate into a full-fledged crisis, relevant government institutions should work with international aid organizations to explore logical solutions to the problem. The threat of drought can become very acute due to the government’s apathy that people may forget about the ongoing war. All international relief organizations operating in Afghanistan should also fulfil their responsibility and not turn away from supporting Afghan people in the current perilous situation. Afghans have been plagued enough by war, and therefore cannot afford any such natural disaster.
Acute drought: Afghanistan must get prepared now to avoid a disaster
