Recently, the United Nations, International Red Cross and Red Crescent have warned an acute drought in the land-locked country, Afghanistan.
The shortfall in rain in Hamal, the first month of Hijri Shamsi calendar, shows that there will be a severe drought in the country, since the water sources of the country which are mainly comprised of the repositories of Pamir, Hindu Kush, Baba and Tir Band mountains, as well as Safed Koh and Siyah Koh mountains, have decreased to below the level of necessity.
On the other hand, the Kabul River and its tributaries, and Helmand, Harirod, Kokcha, and all other rivers of the country lack sufficient water to fulfill the needs of agriculture and livestock.
As a matter of fact, even if we have rainfall at this time, it will cause more damage than good, as there will be heavy floods in the country which will cause even more disasters, and will be of no good to drought. Similarly, the drought is not only disastrous to agriculture but also to livestock as the livestock keepers would not be able to provide grass and hay for their animals.
Also, the current drought is dangerous to the Karakul sheep and can push this breed of animals to disappear.
Of course, the agriculture and livestock industry have since long not enjoyed the adequate attention of the authorities in the country. In addition, no such dam has been constructed that can secure the water needs for agriculture and irrigation.
Even currently, farmers continue to seed winter wheat, with traditional means of plowing and cultivating.
In the current circumstances, as the war has now ended and the war-torn people are living in a peaceful environment, it is the duty of international organizations to stand with the people of Afghanistan, to overcome these natural disasters, in the face of drought and famine.
They should realize that these disasters directly threaten the lives of people.
Additionally, it can cause a great flood of displacement in the country, which will be an indirect impact of these phenomena.
About 70 percent of the people of Afghanistan live through agriculture and livestock.
However, with such drought they would not be able to address the hardships of their lives. Most of the people belong to the lower class of the society and cannot afford private wells and solar-based water systems for themselves.
Speaking of which, it is crucial that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) should attract attention of international organizations, so the people can live through, if not overcome, such situations.
Abdul Qayum, resident of capital city of northern Baghlan province told media that they did not use to have such droughts in the past.
Unfortunately, he added, this year the drought has caught us and we don’t know what will be its consequence for us. Karim Bai, a custodian of Karakul sheep, says, “The sheep as a whole are on the verge to vanish due to the drought.”
In this regard, the United Nations and other international organizations mush act immediately and effectively to help overcome the problems of Afghans, relating to drought and famine.
M. Dawood
Afghanistan to face acute drought
