UNODC: Opium cultivation resurges in Afghanistan by 19%

Kabul, Nov. 6, (dpa/GNA) – Opium cultivation in Afghanistan has resurged by 19% in 2024, reaching 12,800 hectares, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said in a new report on Wednesday.

This increase follows a near-total ban on poppy cultivation imposed by the Taliban government in 2023.

Opium poppy cultivation remains far below 2022 levels, when an estimated 232,000 hectares were cultivated, the report said.

“With opium cultivation remaining at a low level in Afghanistan, we have the opportunity and responsibility to support Afghan farmers to develop sustainable sources of income free from illicit markets,” said Ghada Waly, Executive Director of UNODC. “Alternative livelihoods are urgently needed.”

Despite the Taliban’s efforts, opium cultivation has shifted to new areas, from the traditional south-western provinces to the north-eastern provinces, according to the UN report.

The Taliban government has disputed the UNODC’s findings, claiming that significant progress has been made in eradicating opium cultivation.

In September, the Crisis Group International said that the Taliban campaign against narcotics has had severe economic consequences for poor labourer Afghans who rely heavily on agriculture. The think tank suggested a gradual approach to the ban and a comprehensive approach to address the root causes of the problem.

During the US invasion of Afghanistan, the country became the world’s primary source of the opium poppy, accounting for about 90% of the global supply.

Following the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, the group banned the cultivation of poppies in Afghanistan through a decree in 2022. Last year, the UNODC said Afghanistan opium cultivation declined by an estimated 95% following the ban.

GNA