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February 23, 2005
Afghanistan continues to suffer from severe underdevelopment and a lack of security. A new UN report "National Human Development Report: Security with a Human Face" ranked development in the war-shattered country 173rd out of 178 countries surveyed. Only the sub-Saharan nations of Burundi, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Sierra Leone rated worse.
- Basic living conditions in Afghanistan must be improved. The U.N. report finds that the average life expectancy in Afghanistan is 44.5 years, 20 years lower than neighboring countries. A fifth of the rural population is going hungry. Twenty percent of kids die before the age of five. Unless the situation is turned around, the report warned, Afghanistan could revert to anarchy as "the fragile nation could easily tumble back into chaos.
- The burgeoning drug trade in Afghanistan fuels terrorist activity. Last month, a report by the International Monetary Fund expressed concern that Afghanistan's mushrooming opium trade was undermining its stability as a nation. Today, Afghanistan is responsible "for about 87 percent of the world's opium supply." Drug trafficking brings in almost $3 billion a year, an amount equal to about 60 percent of Afghanistan's legitimate gross domestic product. Much of this money is then funneled into terrorist activities across the globe.
- Afghanistan remains a prime battleground in the war against al Qaeda. The White House and international community ignore Afghanistan at its own peril. Political instability and ongoing security challenges could lead to a resurgence of terrorist activity and training in the country. Iraq is not the only hot spot in the world and the White House should redouble its efforts to ensure Afghanistan's safe and secure transition.
Daily Talking Points is a product of the American Progress Action Fund. |
Daily Talking Points is a product of the American Progress Action Fund. |
