- Title: Afghans escape crippling drought only to face uncertain future
- Date: 9th November 2018
- Summary: KARUKH, HERAT, AFGHANISTAN (RECENT) (REUTERS) AFGHAN BOYS COLLECTING TWIGS ON FARMLAND AFFECTED BY DROUGHT IN KARUKH DISTRICT OF HERAT PROVINCE VARIOUS OF DRIED CROPS DROUGHT-AFFECTED FARMLAND HERAT, AFGHANISTAN (RECENT) (REUTERS) TENTS FOR PEOPLE DISPLACED BY DROUGHT ON OUTSKIRT OF CITY CHILDREN IN QUEUE WAITING TO COLLECT WATER FROM A WATER TANK CHILDREN HOLDING CONTAINERS WAITING TO COLLECT WATER GIRL TURNING OFF FAUCET CHILDREN WATCHING VARIOUS OF DISPLACED PEOPLE OUTSIDE THEIR TENTS MAHIUDDIN WHO WAS FORCED TO LEAVE HIS HOME DUE TO DROUGHT DISTRIBUTING LOAF OF BREAD TO HIS FAMILY IN TENT CHILD EATING BREAD VARIOUS OF MAHIUDDIN AND HIS FAMILY (SOUNDBITE) (Dari) FARMER DISPLACED BY DROUGHT, MAHIUDDIN, SAYING: "We have been forced to leave our house due to drought. We had no food to eat and no water to drink. We have been displaced due to this poverty and misery." VARIOUS OF FAMILY EATING BREAD (SOUNDBITE) (Dari) FARMER DISPLACED BY DROUGHT, MAHIUDDIN, SAYING: "It's very tough to live in this tent. During the night it's very chilly and all my children are sick. We don't have money to take the children to the doctor so, what should we do, it's better we die than to be in such a condition." ELDERLY MAN-EATING BREAD (SOUNDBITE) (Dari) FARMER DISPLACED BY DROUGHT, MAHIUDDIN, SAYING: "We ask the government to provide us with assistance, we have lost everything and if we go back to Badghis province then what we can do there since we have lost everything due to drought? I was working on a government farmland but that does not exist anymore." MAHIUDDIN WALKING OUT OF THE TENT WITH HIS CHILDREN CHILD SITTING ON THE GROUND KETTLE WOMAN MAKING TEA VARIOUS OF PEOPLE OUTSIDE THEIR TENTS VARIOUS OF HERAT CITY STREET HEAD OF DEPARTMENT OF REFUGEES AND REPATRIATION FOR HERAT, JAWID NADEM IN HIS OFFICE (SOUNDBITE) (Dari) HEAD OF DEPARTMENT OF REFUGEES AND REPATRIATION FOR HERAT, JAWID NADEM, SAYING: "The information and statistics we have indicate that for two more years we will face the drought issues in Afghanistan. But decisions will be taken by government authorities on a high level and we will do our best to overcome the problems. Also, the international community is with the people of Afghanistan and they are working to help and solve the drought issue." WATER TANKER FILLING UP STORAGE TANK WATER COMING OUT OF FAUCET VARIOUS OF CHILDREN CARRYING WATER CONTAINERS AND HEADING TO THEIR TENTS
- Embargoed: 23rd November 2018 05:53
- Keywords: Afghanistan farmers winter drought
- Location: KARUKH, HERAT, AFGHANISTAN
- City: KARUKH, HERAT, AFGHANISTAN
- Country: Afghanistan
- Topics: Droughts,Disaster/Accidents,Editors' Choice
- Reuters ID: LVA00195S7XAD
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The worst drought Afghanistan has seen in years has dried up what meagre crops there were, killed off livestock and forced hundreds of thousands to abandon their farms and seek homes elsewhere in order to survive.
Thirty-five-year-old farmer, Mahiuddin, and his family arrived at this dusty camp on the outskirts of Herat six months ago. They packed up what they could and set off from Baghdis, a mountainous province in the west of the country, and travelled for several days by bus to reach the camp to join relatives and some 223,000 people who had given up their homes earlier.
There's water at the camp, at least, but not much else.
"It's very tough to live in this tent. During the night it's very chilly and all my children are sick. We don't have money to take the children to the doctor so, what should we do, it's better we die than to be in such a condition," says Mahiuddin, who has no job and lives on handouts from the government and charities.
For all the billions of dollars spent since the Taliban were ousted in 2001, Afghanistan remains a desperately poor country, lacking basic infrastructure, including electricity and paved roads across most of its territory. Already struggling after decades of war, it now faces an acute food shortage in many regions, with 2.6 million people facing emergency-level food insecurity, one stage short of outright famine, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation.
Aid groups provide emergency assistance of 6,000 afghani ($80) for immediate needs as well as help with cooking equipment, tents, tarpaulins and fuel but the thousands camped out in makeshift settlements are looking forward with apprehension to the harsh winter months ahead.
The exodus underlines the deep environmental problems facing Afghanistan, much of which consists of dry, rugged and inhospitable terrain subject at various times to both drought and deadly flash floods made worse by deforestation.
International aid groups say that without urgent assistance, 10.6 million people, more than a quarter of Afghanistan's population, could be classified as "food insecure" by next year, with 2.9 million facing emergency-level insecurity. Already the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has reported the first deaths among displaced children due to the cold in Herat and Badghis.
Although Herat is one of Afghanistan's more prosperous cities, it cannot provide work for the tens of thousands of new arrivals and its own infrastructure is under increasing strain, local officials say. Drinking water will become scarce as more people are expected to make their way to the city. Aid distribution is already faces issues due to a lack of coordination between central and local governments and aid organisations.
Officials say the drought could last for another two years. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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