What Plagues Afghanistan?

What plagues Afghanistan ? Well a simple answer would be to say everything under the sun. But understanding the issues plaguing the nation is not that simple. From the problems created by the insurgency to the destroyed social structure, the Afghan society is struggling with host of problems.





September 2, 2006 the UN's news agency published a report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNDOC) saying that opium production is fast growing in Afghanistan , providing money to the local insurgents. The report says that there has been a 59% rise in opium cultivation area and 162% rise in the cultivation itself. The opium produced this year in Afghanistan will make about 92% of the world's supply. Infact that supply is stated to outgrow the demand by about 32%.





The present Afghan government has been largely in affective in controlling the opium cultivation. The farmers are forced to grow the drug because they have no other options. They have no help from the government in growing other crops like rice or beans or the famed Afghan oranges and nuts. Also the farmers are lured by the quick cash opium brings.





Taliban which is on a rebound is using the drug trade to fund its militia, other insurgents groups in the region are also benefiting from the drug trade.





It is very important to stop the farmers from growing opium but then with the government held up by the resurgent Taliban, mounting domestic problem and very little help from the donors, the task is looking like impossible.