2023-11-13 16:00:34
Afghanistan’s opium supply drops 95% following Taliban poppy ban
12.11.2023
Afghanistan’s rulers, the Taliban, have promised to eliminate the country’s drug industry and will ban poppy cultivation in April 2022. Afghanistan was previously the world’s largest opium producer and a major source of heroin to Europe and Asia.
(Deutsche Welle Chinese website) According to a report released by the United Nations last Sunday (November 5), Afghanistan’s opium production has dropped sharply since the Taliban banned poppy cultivation.
Afghanistan’s rulers, the Taliban, have pledged to eradicate the country’s drug industry and began banning poppy cultivation in April 2022.
Poppy is the main raw material for opium and heroin. Before the Taliban took over Afghanistan,Afghanistan is the world’s largest opium produceris also a major source of heroin in Europe and Asia.
What do reports say regarding opium production in Afghanistan?
A report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) found that over the past year, the area under poppy cultivation in Afghanistan fell by an estimated 95%, from 233,000 hectares at the end of 2022 to 10,800 hectares in 2023. Opium production has also dropped from 6,200 tons to 333 tons in 2023.
This year’s harvest is equivalent to 24-38 tons of exportable heroin, down from 350-580 tons in 2022, the report said.
Afghan farmers’ income has fallen by 92% this year, from an estimated $1.36 billion to $110 million.
In 2022, the value of poppy crops accounted for almost one-third of Afghanistan’s total agricultural output.
Poppy production surges in Afghanistan
Outstanding
Afghanistan is the country with the largest opium production in the world. Last year, the poppy cultivation area reached 209,000 hectares. Heroin is made from opium. Nearly 90% of the world’s opium supply comes from Afghanistan.
Poppy production surges in Afghanistan
develop rapidly
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) released its annual report in November last year. The document reaches a disturbing conclusion: Afghanistan’s opium production increased by nearly 50% from the previous year to 55 million tons.
Poppy production surges in Afghanistan
Prepare for a rainy day
The United Nations has raised questions regarding a link between the surge in opium production and the withdrawal of NATO troops. Opium farmers may have increased production in preparation for periods of political and economic instability. Most observers expect Afghanistan’s economy to suffer as NATO forces leave.
Poppy production surges in Afghanistan
A multi-billion dollar deal
The United Nations Office on Drugs estimates that Afghanistan’s opium crop last year was worth regarding $950 million, equivalent to 4% of Afghanistan’s gross domestic product.
Poppy production surges in Afghanistan
temptation of money
For Afghan farmers, the temptation to grow opium poppy is great. In Afghanistan, 1 kilogram of poppy sells for regarding $150. Although opium is illegal, efforts by agricultural experts to induce farmers to plant other crops, such as cotton, have been unsuccessful because farmers do not make enough money and the crops are difficult to sell.
Poppy production surges in Afghanistan
Problem provinces
According to the United Nations Drug Report, the southern province of Helmand alone accounts for nearly 50% of Afghanistan’s total opium production, and the area is a Taliban stronghold. The local government has tried to crack down on illegal cultivation by destroying poppy fields.
Poppy production surges in Afghanistan
tough battle
In this anti-drug campaign, Afghanistan has also received support from the United States. Last spring, Afghanistan and the United States signed a $250 million agreement to strengthen the Afghan judicial and police forces and focus on eradicating poppy crops. However, according to information from the Afghan government, approximately 200,000 Afghan families rely on opium to survive.
Poppy production surges in Afghanistan
Taliban gains
Radical Islamists profit handsomely from Afghanistan’s drug trade. Farmers generally pay a fee to the Taliban, who use the money to fund their fight once morest the Kabul government and NATO forces. Ironically, before the fall of the Taliban in 2001, poppy cultivation was strictly prohibited.
Poppy production surges in Afghanistan
drug dependent children
Mass production – lots of addicts. Afghanistan not only produces drugs, but also has many “consumers.” The United Nations estimates that there are 1.5 million drug users in Afghanistan, including regarding 300,000 children.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime warns that people formerly involved in the opium industry are at risk of turning to other illegal activities, such as arms trafficking, human trafficking or synthetic drugs. A September report from the agency noted that Afghanistan is the world’s fastest-growing producer of methamphetamine, commonly known as methamphetamine.
Afghanistan is facing a serious humanitarian crisis
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime said the Taliban’s crackdown on the opium poppy industry might have a negative impact on the livelihoods of many Afghans and warned of “humanitarian consequences for many vulnerable rural communities”.
Since the Taliban came to power, international aid has decreased and Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis has worsened.
“The Afghan people now need urgent humanitarian assistance… to offset the impact of lost income and save lives,” said Ghada Waly, head of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
Valli said other crops such as cotton and wheat use far more water than poppy. Afghanistan has experienced “three consecutive years of drought,” she added. “Afghanistan urgently needs significant investment in sustainable livelihoods to provide Afghans with the opportunity to transition away from opium,” she called for.
Decades of war and natural disasters such as earthquakes and droughts have triggered a serious humanitarian crisis, which Afghanistan has already faced before. Afghanistan is also facing a large influx of returning refugees following neighboring Pakistan ordered more than 1 million people to leave the country.
Current Affairs | 03.11.2023
In August 2021, the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan following the hasty withdrawal of international forces led by the United States. The Taliban’s rule has so far not been officially recognized by any country, and international aid has been sharply reduced following the Taliban overthrew Afghanistan’s previous government, exacerbating the crisis in Afghanistan. While international aid has declined,The Taliban severely restricted the rights of women and girls in the country, as well as many other basic human rights。
(AP, AFP, Archyde.com, DPA)
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