KABUL (SW): Officials at the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU) said that based on their research, the alternative livelihood program for poppy cultivation in the country has failed.
Urizla Ashraf Nemat, Director of AREU, said at a meeting in Kabul today (Tuesday), the AREU research on the management of natural resources shows that the alternative livelihood program for poppy cultivation in Afghanistan has not been working, and the issue of access of farmers to local and international markets have not been included in this program.
According to Urizla Nemat, the alternative livelihood program has conversely increased poppy cultivation due to its lack of sustainability.
However, officials at the Ministry of Counter Narcotics have rejected the findings of the AREU, saying that the alternative livelihood program has reduced poppy cultivation.
Javid Ahmad Qayem, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Counter Narcotics, said the findings of AREU are far from real.According to Javid Qayem, the government was also worried about the short-term livelihood programs, however, the plan has worked well.
Pierre Mayaudon, the European Union Head of Delegation to Afghanistan, vowed their continued support for the natural resources sector in Afghanistan, saying that the EU will help eliminate the problems in this sector. According to Ambassador Mayaudon, the European Union will contribute 2 billion euro for various sectors in Afghanistan by 2020.
ENDS
