Wesa, McKinley publicize Kandahar Food Zone program

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- Kandahar Provincial Governor Toryalai Wesa and Deputy Ambassador Michael McKinley, U.S. Embassy Kabul, announced the inauguration of the Kandahar Food Zone during a press conference at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, Oct. 30.

"Thank you to Governor Wesa, and to all of you for joining us today for a project we're launching which I hope will indicate our continuing commitment to Kandahar, to the transformation of the economic livelihood of the Kandaharis, and the importance of effective programs that work to fighting the scourge of narcotics," said McKinley.

The Kandahar Food Zone is a new initiative designed to bring several counter narcotic programs under one program and was created by the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan's Ministry of Counter Narcotics, U.S. Department of State Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement and U.S. Agency for International Development.

"The Kandahar Food Zone is a combined, integrated effort for addressing the drivers of poppy cultivation," said Mick Hogan, counter narcotics advisor, Regional Command (South). "In the past, we've had counter narcotics programs that were focused on poppy eradications or they were focused on alternative livelihoods, but they were never a coordinated program.

"This is a critical program which also impacts the funding streams of drug trafficking organizations that have a symbiotic relationship to the insurgency," Hogan said.

The KFZ is comprised of four key pillars: alternative livelihoods, public information, governor-led eradication and drug demand reduction.

"Alternative livelihoods are projects that will develop infrastructure, improving jobs and markets," Hogan said. "Public information, or as we call it, public engagements, involves radio spots, billboards, and posters. We'll also work with local community leaders such as mullahs and tribal leaders."

Cultivating, processing or possessing opium is a violation of Afghan law, and the governor-led eradication program has the authority to arrest large landowners who grow poppy, and to destroy their poppy crops.

Drug demand reduction includes two functions -- drug education and drug addiction clinics.

"This program primarily focuses on training for school teachers, who then become 'train the trainers' to promote the message of alternative livelihoods or refusal to engage in the cultivation of illicit narcotics," Hogan said. "We have already trained 39 school teachers in Kandahar province.

"In Kandahar province we have four clinics -- one inpatient clinic with 50 beds, and another with 20, and two outpatient clinics serving (drug addicts)," Hogan said.

"These (outpatient clinics) are primarily focused on our female addicts who, due to social norms, cannot stay out of the house overnight and stay at a rehab clinic. So they go there during the day and get treatment, which was surprising that it works so well. Part of the training is Family support, so Families actually bring the Family members to get treatment and ensure they stay drug free when they go home."

The KFZ is one of several projects the USAID has developed in Kandahar province.

"We very much appreciate and would like to thank the governor and his team for inviting us to this province to work in partnership on a number of development areas such as energy, agriculture, infrastructure and now food zones," said Dr. Ken Yamashita, director, USAID. "And as all of you know, agriculture is the mainstay of the economic growth and economic development of Kandahar."

The USAID recognizes that there are debilitating factors of the narcotic trade and industry that are present in the region, Yamashita said.

"We know there are very few opportunities for farmers to make a living, and so the launch of this program is to improve the life of farmers and to give them opportunities to alternative livelihoods -- alternatives to poppy cultivation and production."