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Drought Grips Afghanistan, Affecting Over Two Million People: OCHA
More than two million Afghans at risk of becoming severely food insecure due to the ongoing drought which affecting two-thirds of the country, the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a report released on Monday.
The report said that water points and fountains across the country have dried up and the lack of rain and snow melt has made rivers run low or dry up completely.
According to the report, due to the lack of water, farmers have chosen to minimize their losses by delaying planting crops and reducing field sizes.
The report said that lack of water also affected farmers with livestock and pastoralists like the nomadic Kuchi tribe as pasturelands have partially or completely dried up or are overgrazed, leaving flocks with little or no feed.
Following the issue, Akbar Rustami, Spokesman for the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock said that more than 5,000 tonnes of animal foodstuffs have been distributed to the affected people and 4,000 tonnes more are under distribution process.
The OCHA report also said that Humanitarian partners need $115 million to respond to the needs of the 1.4 million most vulnerable people hit by the drought.
Mohammad Aslam Sayas, Deputy Director General of the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA) said that assistance underway in the drought-affected provinces.
“After foodstuffs that come from provinces, the impact level of drought on the agriculture is being measured and thereafter, the affected farmers are receiving our assistance,” he said.
Some economic analysts, however, believe the government has been failed to address the problems of affected people on time and manage the water resources in the country.
Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on Thursday met with Iranian Deputy Justice Minister Askar Jalalian in Kabul, where they discussed refugees, prisoners, economic and political cooperation.
Muttaqi, while appreciating Iran’s hosting of Afghan refugees for four decades, called on Tehran to treat refugees well and be patient towards them, Afghan foreign ministry said in a statement.
He also said that the Islamic Emirate is committed to cooperate with Iran in relation to the repatriation of Afghan prisoners, asking the Iranian Deputy Minister of Justice to cooperate fully in this regard.
According to the statement, Iran's deputy justice minister said Tehran was following recent developments in Afghanistan and was pleased with the stability.
He added that the Islamic Republic of Iran will continue its cooperation and, based on the agreements reached, will transfer Afghan prisoners in the near future.
Russia and Pakistan urged "enhanced" coordination among regional countries Thursday for a "peaceful and prosperous" Afghanistan, according to a statement from the Pakistani Foreign Ministry.
The call was made during a meeting between Russian Special Envoy to Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov and Pakistani Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch in Islamabad where the two sides exchanged views on relations with Afghanistan.
Kabulov arrived in Islamabad for a visit earlier in the day.
A Qatari aircraft carrying medical aid and four ambulances touched down on Thursday at Kabul Airport.
The aid, provided by Qatar Fund for Development, was received by Deputy Minister of Public Health Bakht-ur-Rahman Sharafat and Qatar's Acting Chargé d'Affaires to Afghanistan Mirdef bin Ali Al Qashouti, Qatar's foreign ministry said in a statement.
"This aid comes within the framework of the State of Qatar's efforts and its firm commitment to providing support and standing by the brotherly Afghan people, and providing them with their urgent and necessary needs," the statement said.
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