RASC News Agency: Some residents of Herat Province in western Afghanistan affirm that recent droughts have arisen due to the oppression and restrictions imposed by individuals within the Taliban group, perpetuating harsh living conditions. Mahmmoud, a resident of Herat Province, told the RASC News Agency on Friday, Feb 23, that exactly 20 years ago, when the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, drought affected the people in a manner that even more livestock died due to the lack of rainfall and snow.
He added that currently, with the Taliban’s presence in Afghanistan, drought has worsened, amplifying the concerns of the country’s residents several times over. According to him, most of the underground water wells of Herat Province residents have dried up, and people are deeply concerned about the lack of water in the wells and severe drought.
Similarly, Akbar Hamdard, a farmer from Herat Province, told the RASC News Agency, “Due to the absence of rain and drought, I couldn’t achieve the yields I wanted as in previous years.” He expressed that most farmers this year had no crop yields and are struggling with abnormal conditions.
Hamdard added that so far, Taliban officials have not cooperated with farmers to address the impending crisis. Meanwhile, Mohammadullah, another farmer from Herat Province, told the RASC News Agency that this year’s drought has devastated a significant portion of farmers and has presented all agricultural planning of this segment of society with challenges.
He further emphasized that on one hand, drought, and on the other hand, the lack of a desirable market for farmers are among the factors that have made life difficult for agricultural workers. Mohammadullah insists that the best option for escaping this situation is to rely on Allah’s mercy for rainfall. On the other hand, some agricultural experts in western Afghanistan confirm that the recent droughts of the past few years have directly impacted farmers and agriculture in Afghanistan.
He states that most of the household wells of Herat Province residents have dried up, and people are suffering from the worst water scarcity conditions. He also adds that the economic problems of the people, especially farmers, have worsened more than before, and they cannot afford to spend amounts on the repair of their household wells. Regarding recent droughts and the cooperation of the local administration of the Taliban group with farmers, we sought to obtain the opinions of the authorities of this group in Herat Province, but they declined to comment.
