Following the ban on drug sales imposed by the Taliban in 2023, opium cultivation in Afghanistan has decreased by 95%. This is according to the results of a study conducted by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Avesta reports.
UN experts predict that the sharp reduction in opium production will have far-reaching consequences for both Afghanistan and the entire world. The authors of the report stressed the urgent need to increase support for rural communities and alternative agricultural development to build a future in Afghanistan without opium.
Opium cultivation has decreased in all parts of the country, from 233,000 hectares to only 10,800 hectares in 2023. This has led to a 95% reduction in the opium supply, from 6,200 tons in 2022 to 333 tons. The drastic reduction in production has had negative consequences for many vulnerable rural communities that relied directly on income from opium cultivation.
"At the same time, all of this has created a real opportunity to achieve long-term results in combating the illegal opium market and the damage it inflicts both at the local and global levels," said UNODC Executive Director Ghada Wali. "Today, the population of Afghanistan urgently needs humanitarian assistance to meet their most basic needs and overcome the shock of lost income. In the coming months, Afghanistan will urgently require significant investments to create sustainable livelihoods."
CentralasianLIGHT.org
November 7, 2023