The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) recently conducted an analysis of poppy cultivation and drug production in Afghanistan, revealing a significant decline in drug cultivation due to the prohibitions imposed by the Taliban.
Kabul 24: On Sunday, November 5th, the organization released its report, highlighting that drug cultivation in Afghanistan has drastically reduced owing to the Taliban’s strict measures.
According to the report, drug production and distribution plummeted from 6,200 tons in 2022 to a mere 333 tons in 2023. Additionally, the land used for drug cultivation decreased from 233 hectares to 10,800 hectares in 2023.
However, UN officials have raised concerns about the immediate humanitarian consequences in rural Afghan communities, where villagers heavily rely on income from opium cultivation.
The report pointed out that farmers’ income from opium sales has plummeted from 1.36 billion dollars to 110 million dollars in 2023, indicating a 92% decrease.
Ghada Wali, the Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, commented, “This presents a genuine opportunity to make long-term progress against the illegal drug market and the harm it causes both locally and globally. Nevertheless, there are significant consequences and risks that need to be addressed for the outcome to be truly positive and sustainable, especially for the people of Afghanistan.”
Wali emphasized the urgent need for substantial investments in the coming months to create sustainable livelihoods and provide viable alternatives to opium cultivation for Afghan farmers.
This report comes at a time when concerns persist about the ongoing illicit drug trade, particularly in heroin, in Helmand, which raises alarms among neighboring countries and the region regarding drug trafficking from Afghanistan.
Despite the decrease in drug cultivation, worries persist about the challenging circumstances faced by farmers, especially given the country’s severe humanitarian crisis.
