By Libby
What progress has been made in the north and east regions of Afghanistan in eliminating the poppy trade, is being threatened by a failure to follow through on promised alternative economic development for the poverty stricken farmers.
Oguz said it was critical that the Afghan government and the international community 'show that they will ensure food supplies and massive and targeted long and short-term development' areas where farmers decided not to plant poppy last year. 'I am not sure that is going to happen,' she said in an interview in Kabul.
The locals certainly are losing their faith in the pledged support.
'We did not plant opium last year because the government banned it and said we would get dams, roads and jobs,' said Zarjan Adalkhel Shinwari, a local elder. 'People are wavering. We need the money and none of their promises have been fulfilled. But it is illegal.'
Ironically, the growing international food shortage may help more than all the eradication programs money can be wasted on.
However, the poppy harvest has been affected by a glut on the market which has lowered the price paid 'at the fa rm gate' and high global wheat prices which have made other crops more attractive.
Meanwhile, Karzai's area of government control, which has been limited mainly within a certain geographic range around Kabul, appears to be shrinking.
While clashes in remote Helmand dominate the headlines, another battle is being waged by the insurgents on Kabul's doorstep. There, the Taliban are winning support by building a parallel administration, which is more effective, more popular and more brutal than the government's.
It's said that the Taliban partly finance their activities by taxing the poppy growers and the processing of the opium which used to be conducted outside of the country is increasingly being done by mobile labs inside. It doesn't appear Afghanistan's politics will be kicking its poppy co-dependence any time soon. [via Moonbootica]
No comments:
Post a Comment