According to a report from the U.N. drugs agency, Afghan farmers have lost over $1 billion in income from opium sales after the Taliban banned poppy cultivation.
When the Taliban took power in August 2021, Afghanistan was the world’s largest opium producer and a major source of heroin in Europe and Asia.
In April 2022, the Taliban imposed a ban on opium cultivation, causing a 95% decrease in opium production and affecting hundreds of thousands of farmers and laborers who relied on the crop for their livelihoods.
Before the ban, Afghanistan’s opiate exports often exceeded the value of its legal exports. The decline in the opium economy is expected to have significant consequences for the country, as opiate exports accounted for 9-14% of the national GDP.
UNODC executive director, Ghada Waly, emphasized the urgent need for humanitarian assistance and investment in sustainable livelihoods to provide alternative opportunities for Afghans away from opium.
Afghanistan is also facing drought, economic hardship, and the long-term effects of war and natural disasters.
The downturn in the opiate industry, coupled with the cessation of international financing, is pushing people into poverty, hunger, and addiction.
A September report from the UNODC revealed that Afghanistan is now the world’s fastest-growing producer of methamphetamine, as poppy cultivation decreases.
Lower incomes in the opiate supply chain may lead to an increase in other illegal activities, such as arms and human trafficking, as well as the production and trafficking of synthetic drugs.
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