18 April 2010 -  Irrigation, access, trade and energy were at the heart of talks between Farah provincial authorities and Government representatives and the donor community.

Early morning, at Farah airport, a long line of vehicles stretched towards Syad camp, the newly built base of the 207 corps of the Afghan National Army, in Qafar Qala area.

Under heavily armed escort, representatives of agencies, diplomats and Government officials were taken 8 km outside Farah city to discuss the development of one of Afghanistan’s poorest provinces.

Spearheaded by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), the initiative aims at presenting donors with a comprehensive view of the challenges which the province faces.

Farah’s Governor, Rohul Al Amin, and his team expressed their feelings about being left aside by the central Government and the international community.

Rohul Al Amin sums up: “It is very important that provinces are treated equally when it comes to development and security,” he told the audience. “The majority of Farah’s population is very poor. Some cannot send their youth to neighbouring countries or even find work internally. This is a very good opportunity for insurgents to offer an incentive to join the fight against the Government.”

To give an example of the imbalance, the Governor stressed that only five tractors were sent for poppy eradication from Iran to Farah, with only four actually operating. In stark contrast, 100 tractors were sent to Helmand, which borders the province.

Dr Zafar, Deputy Minister for Counter-Narcotics, first addressed the local representatives: “We expect Farah not to cultivate [poppy]! Drug money destabilizes our communities; it fuels corruption and destroys our young generation.”

He then called on donors to support the province: “Farah needs to be supported. If not, it will be difficult for it to develop by itself.”

The provincial authorities identified the strategic priorities for the central Government and its international partners to focus on.

First, they said, complete the construction of the Baksh Abad dam, with its network of irrigation canals. Such a project would provide employment and allow the population, of which 80 per cent rely on agriculture, to cultivate more land.

The sector is crucial to Farah’s recovery after 30 years of war. The director of the agriculture department stressed: “80 per cent of the population left the province during the Soviet era, and the same amount of farming land is yet to be cultivated.” Farah exported 48,000 tons of watermelon to bordering provinces the past year, and requires assistance in storage equipment to provide producers with a steady income.

Another challenge facing the province is the construction of roads, whether to the border for business trade with Iran, or to the districts to market their production.

Currently, the province is in such dire needs of roads that the Governor confesses he hasn’t been able to visit all districts.

Commending the work achieved by the Provincial Reconstruction Team and other development partners, the Governor called for much more to be done.

Finally, he warned: “My concern is, if you ignore this province, the situation may deteriorate.”

By Fraidoon Poya and Henri Burgard, UNAMA