Badakhshan dwellers surviving on grass

By Syed Bukhar Shah
The News: Jang (Pakistan)

PESHAWAR: Severe drought and starvation in the Badakhshan province of Northern Afghanistan have claimed some 1,000 lives during the last month. Toll includes 104, who died last week.

According to Afghan Opposition sources, more than 800,000 people in Badakhshan were living under extremely miserable circumstances. The sources further said that about 400,000 people were surviving on Haram (forbidden) meat and grass.

A recently arrived Afghan from Badakhshan told this scribe that thousands would die in that province if timely rescue measures were not taken. He also held a copy of a press release written in Persian, saying that Northern Alliance had invited world community's immediate attention towards horrible human situation in that province.

The press release stated that the situation had turned so worse in district Sher Buzurg, district Yaftal and district Ragh that the resident of these areas were eating gross and Haram to survive.

It further said that although a UN delegation was also due in the province next week but it would be too late. The Northern Alliance appealed to the international community to help it in this need of the hour and save the lives of their helpless citizens. The Afghan further said that majority of the people from Takhar and Qandooz had fled to Badakhshan when Taliban conquer Takhar.