Afghanistan’s Losing Battle
In the post Drug Trade Fuels Forced Marriages in Afghanistan, the looming drug culture was brought to attention, as the country drug market has only continued to fuel human rights violations and breed more suffering among the populous, especially children. A recent New York Times article written by Thomas Schweich, a former U.S. counternarcotics official, brought light to the issues as to why Afghanistan losing the battle against drugs. The main issue is that efforts to address Afghanistan’s massive poppy cultivation have been hampered by a seer lack of political will, as large scale corruption remains at every level of the Afghanistan’s political framework. Additionaly an absence of alternative solutions remain for local farmers, leaving them almost forced to continue poppy production. A multi-pronged strategy including pressure on Afghan President Hamid Karzai to cease protection of drug lords, more drug treatment centers and developmental rewards to provinces that become poppy free is needed.
Please also see the post The State of Afghanistan’s Children Almost Seven Years After the Invasion and The Struggle Continues for Afghanistan’s Children
In other news warnings that Afghan insecurity may result in humanitarian catastrophe
are being heard, as millions of Afghans are becoming increasingly insecure and slipping more and more into a state of imminent need. The increase of needy Afghans has increased with the rising attacks on aid workers, which is preventing aid deliveries and could lead to the possibility of a massive humanitarian crisis in the country, according to aid groups. So far this year alone 11 NGO employees have died in over 68 violent incidents involving aid agencies.
July 29th, 2008 at 7:38 pm
Agents from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime said that Afghanistan, which currently produces poppies for 90% of the world’s heroin, are increasingly recruiting top international chemists to produce high-quality heroin, which is more profitable than selling raw opium. Heroin revenue is being used to finance terrorist camps in the wilds of Pakistan.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jNuaqMOvjjU4he05WADOUfXKBF6AD926U5CO0
August 27th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
Afghan opium production drops dramatically, UN says
A year after producing a record opium crop, Afghan production has dropped by 19% thanks to government efforts to convince farmers to plant other crops, the United Nations said in a report published Tuesday. “The opium floodwaters in Afghanistan have started to recede,” Antonio Maria Costa, head of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, said. The New York Times (8/27) , The Toronto Star (8/26)