UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th August, 2022) Some 25,000 Afghan farmers who used to grow poppies are currently taking part in UN-sponsored programs to redirect their efforts to the cultivation of other crops, Humanitarian Coordinator for Afghanistan Ramiz Alakbarov told Sputnik in an interview.
"In Kabul, Kandahar, and Helmand, we have distributed poultry and livestock support to 5,000 households and supported 29 medium and small enterprises. The 25,000 farmers who used to grow poppies have been enrolled in special programs to grow something else," Alakbarov said.
Earlier in August, Alakbarov said that millions of lives are under threat in Afghanistan amid severe and harsh humanitarian conditions as the winter approaches.
A year ago, the Taliban (under UN sanctions for terrorism) entered Kabul, prompting then-President Ashraf Ghani to resign and hastily leave the country. The United States then quickly withdrew troops, while a Taliban government took over.
The takeover triggered economic disarray and food shortages that have pushed the country to the brink of a humanitarian crisis after billions of Dollars in foreign aid, which made up 40% of the country's GDP, were cut off. Thousands of Afghans have fled the country fearful of the Taliban, widespread violations of human rights, and crackdown on freedoms of women and girls.
