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Struggling for Solutions As Opium Trade Blossoms
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Debate around the wood stove was not nearly as clear-cut.
"The law says no one should grow poppies," began Gov. Assadullah Hamdam, who has held his post since last fall. "If they do, they are criminals. They destroy our country."
He said he is concerned about the increasing number of addicts in his province, now estimated at 4,500, including significant numbers of women and children. An internal U.N. report found that Uruzgan has only 25 doctors serving a population of 320,000 and that no drug treatment service exists. Until this meeting, the province had no awareness campaign on the dangers of drug use.
One local official suggested that farmers wouldn't stop growing poppies without money or other compensation from the government.
But because Uruzgan did not meet the poppy eradication quota set by the government, the province will receive nothing this year from the Afghan Counter Narcotics Trust Fund. Donor nations have contributed tens of millions of dollars to provide provinces with incentives to eradicate poppies and provide alternate livelihoods for farmers.
The governor looked irritated.
"Our government doesn't have enough money to pay every farmer to stop poppy cultivation," he told the officials gathered around him. "If you pay, they'll constantly ask for more."
"It's against Afghanistan's rules -- if they grow poppies, they'll be punished," continued the governor. "We can't promise to help them. Even if we can't help them, they should stop."
Privately, in an interview, Hamdam said he believes it will take a decade more to end poppy production in his province.
"We don't know what to do," the governor said during the meeting with local officials. "There are places we can't even go. How will we get to those areas that are not even under the control of the government?"
No one offered an answer. As Hamdam glanced around the conference room, some ministers had closed their eyes and appeared to be dozing.
The governor was exasperated. "We will do what we can, we will do our best," he said.
He paused. And if that fails, he said, "we will pray to God to wash out the poppy fields, to bring cold weather and snow, or floods."
