UN Reports 19% Rise in Opium Cultivation, Taliban Denies Claims
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reports a significant increase in opium cultivation in Afghanistan for 2024, rising from 10,800 to 12,800 hectares. This represents a 19% growth, particularly in northeastern regions, with opium prices reaching $730 per kilogram.
Taliban’s Interior Ministry spokesman, Abdul Matin Qane, strongly refuted these claims on Wednesday, November 6. He suggested that the UN survey might have been conducted before their police operations to eliminate poppy fields earlier in the year.
Despite Taliban’s repeated claims of eradicating drug production in Afghanistan at global forums, they have not provided specific statistics to support their counter-narrative. The group maintains that opium cultivation has significantly decreased in 2024.
#Afghanistan #OpiumCultivation #Taliban #UnitedNations #DrugControl
