Farmers in Drought-Prone Areas of Afghanistan Brace for Drop in Crop Yield

According to the news source, officials from Afghanistan's Taliban-led Agriculture and Irrigation Ministry voiced hope that farmers will be able to avoid drought as a result of the recent rainfall. Misbahuhddin Mustaeen, a spokesman for the Taliban-led ministry, stated that they had prepared for an emergency situation in Afghanistan owing to the drought.

"Droughts are becoming more common around the world, but recent rains in the country have given us hope that we will be less vulnerable to this than in the past," as per Musbahuhddin Mustaeen.

Meanwhile, Astashan, a farmer, claims that wells have been drying up for the past two years and that they have received no assistance. Ghulam Ali, a farmer, described last year's drought as "too much," adding that they were still unable to irrigate their land after 25 days.

"There is no water for us, neither from the dam nor from the sea. Wells have been drying up for the previous two years, putting us at risk. No one is assisting us," said Astashan. The Taliban-led Chamber of Agriculture and Irrigation has blamed the current increase in drought in Afghanistan on a lack of water management.

According to Merwis Haji Zada, deputy of the Chamber of Agriculture and Irrigation, if the Qosh Tepa Canal, Kamal Khan Dam, and Kunar Water Canal are built to standards, Afghanistan will not face drought. According to the chamber, Afghanistan receives up to 80 billion cubic metres of water every year from rain and snowfall, and its annual water consumption is estimated to be 25 billion cubic meters, according to a media source.

Earlier in March, Afghanistan requested assistance from the United Nations (UN) amid growing fears over drought in the war-torn country, asking the UN to supply wheat storage facilities. The Taliban-led Chamber of Agriculture and Livestock has encouraged the UN to assist Afghanistan in this respect, saying that it will benefit the war-torn nation's economy.