The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has highlighted drought as the primary challenge facing Afghanistan’s agricultural sector.
“Drought, the main problem for Afghan agriculture, is the most destructive force for agriculture worldwide,” FAO stated on social media platform X.
Afghanistan has experienced consecutive droughts over the past three years, according to the UN. In addition to drought, natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods have severely impacted Afghan farmers.
The United Nations World Food Programme has reported that 15.3 million people in Afghanistan are facing acute food insecurity, with an additional 2.8 million in a state of emergency food insecurity.
Since the Taliban’s takeover, Afghanistan has been mired in multiple crises, with climate change and its effects largely unaddressed. No Afghan representatives have attended the United Nations Climate Change Conference since the Taliban assumed power.
Furthermore, international donors have reduced their assistance to Afghanistan due to the Taliban’s suppressive policies on women and girls. More than 24 million Afghans are in dire need of humanitarian aid.
