Abutting its physical economic collapse, Afghanistan is now suffering its worst drought in three and a half decades; its underdeveloped agriculture is disintegrating through an extreme shortage of water.
“This is the worst drought in 35-36 years,” said Richard Trenchard, the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) director for Afghanistan. “Many public institutions which provide a safety net, have ceased to function. Farmers have very little to fall back upon.” The United Nations estimates that drought is affecting 25 of the country’s 34 provinces. Afghanistan’s current harvest is expected to be 15% below average due to the drought, the FAO said.
