Opium cultivation is up by a third in Afghanistan as the country faces a severe economic crisis, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime said on Tuesday.
The new figures appear to confirm fears the Taliban will fail to bring production to heel, and since August last year trafficking of the drug abroad has continued without interruption.
The group, which seized Afghanistan in August 2021, outlawed all cultivation of the opium poppy and all narcotics in April, but exempted this year's crop.
Production is predominantly in the south, where in some areas a fifth of arable land is used to grow the opium poppy. The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime found cultivation is increasing in the north of the country too.
UN investigators used satellite imagery to survey Afghanistan’s crop fields after the Taliban took control of the country.
Farmers are facing tough choices in choosing which crop to plant for next year as the country's economy continues to fail. November is traditionally planting time for the season ahead, and few other crops such as wheat and vegetables can provide the income opium can.
The April ban sent prices of opium soaring this year. Afghan farmers tripled their income from $425 million in 2021 to $1.4 billion in 2022, the report found.
Ghada Waly, the UNODC's executive director, said the international community needs to do more to help the Afghan people and tackle drug trafficking around the world.
“Afghan farmers are trapped in the illicit opiate economy, while seizure events around Afghanistan suggest that opiate trafficking continues unabated,” she said.
Poppies are an attractive crop for farmers as they are pest and drought resistant, and can be stored for long periods.
Used to make street drug heroin and a range of medical prescription opioids, opium is created by scraping poppy seed pods for a milky fluid, which is then dried.
Afghanistan supplies 80 per cent of global opiate demand.
An explosion in opium production
Opium production dropped dramatically in 2001 after the last Taliban government banned it in July 2000. The UN celebrated the “near total success of the ban” in Taliban controlled areas at the time.
But the halt in growing the crop was short-lived, and since the US-led invasion in late 2001, the amount of land used for cultivation has crept up, reaching 233,000 hectares today.
The Taliban used to make a significant income from poppy cultivation. The report said the practice has “long represented a lucrative potential source of financing in Afghanistan, including in the past for non-state actors such as the Taliban.”
The April ban, however, may not be all good news. The dire economic situation in the country may mean a well-implemented ban like that of 2001 pushes farmers and others dependent on the trade to other illicit activities, or forces the cultivation abroad to other nations, the UNODC warned.
About 20 million Afghans are believed to be facing acute food insecurity as they brace for a second winter under Taliban rule.
Restrictions on the freedoms of women and girls, and the discovery that Al Qaeda leader Ayman Al Zawahiri was living in a Kabul safe house before he was killed by US forces, have deepened western concerns about Taliban rule.
G7 countries said in May that they expected a “swift and full implementation” of the ban on opium production.
The official ban “should lead to concrete efforts addressing illegal drugs trafficking and financing of terrorism,” the group’s foreign ministers said.
Drishyam 2
Directed by: Jeethu Joseph
Starring: Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba, Murali Gopy
Rating: 4 stars
Primera Liga fixtures (all times UAE: 4 GMT)
Friday
Real Sociedad v Villarreal (10.15pm)
Real Betis v Celta Vigo (midnight)
Saturday
Alaves v Barcelona (8.15pm)
Levante v Deportivo La Coruna (10.15pm)
Girona v Malaga (10.15pm)
Las Palmas v Atletico Madrid (12.15am)
Sunday
Espanyol v Leganes (8.15pm)
Eibar v Athletic Bilbao (8.15pm)
Getafe v Sevilla (10.15pm)
Real Madrid v Valencia (10.15pm)
Points to remember
- Debate the issue, don't attack the person
- Build the relationship and dialogue by seeking to find common ground
- Express passion for the issue but be aware of when you're losing control or when there's anger. If there is, pause and take some time out.
- Listen actively without interrupting
- Avoid assumptions, seek understanding, ask questions
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
How it works
Each player begins with one of the great empires of history, from Julius Caesar's Rome to Ramses of Egypt, spread over Europe and the Middle East.
Round by round, the player expands their empire. The more land they have, the more money they can take from their coffers for each go.
As unruled land and soldiers are acquired, players must feed them. When a player comes up against land held by another army, they can choose to battle for supremacy.
A dice-based battle system is used and players can get the edge on their enemy with by deploying a renowned hero on the battlefield.
Players that lose battles and land will find their coffers dwindle and troops go hungry. The end goal? Global domination of course.
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PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Saturday
Liverpool v Manchester United - 3.30pm
Burnley v West Ham United - 6pm
Crystal Palace v Chelsea - 6pm
Manchester City v Stoke City - 6pm
Swansea City v Huddersfield Town - 6pm
Tottenham Hotspur v Bournemouth - 6pm
Watford v Arsenal - 8.30pm
Sunday
Brighton and Hove Albion v Everton - 4.30pm
Southampton v Newcastle United - 7pm
Monday
Leicester City v West Bromwich Albion - 11pm
EMILY%20IN%20PARIS%3A%20SEASON%203
%3Cp%3ECreated%20by%3A%20Darren%20Star%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Lily%20Collins%2C%20Philippine%20Leroy-Beaulieu%2C%20Ashley%20Park%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%202.75%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
MATCH SCHEDULE
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Tuesday, April 24 (10.45pm)
Liverpool v Roma
Wednesday, April 25
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid (10.45pm)
Europa League semi-final, first leg
Thursday, April 26
Arsenal v Atletico Madrid (11.05pm)
Marseille v Salzburg (11.05pm)
Company profile
Company: Rent Your Wardrobe
Date started: May 2021
Founder: Mamta Arora
Based: Dubai
Sector: Clothes rental subscription
Stage: Bootstrapped, self-funded
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sideup%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202019%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Waleed%20Rashed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Cairo%2C%20Egypt%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20technology%2C%20e-commerce%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%241.2%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Launch%20Africa%20VC%2C%20500%20Global%2C%20Riyadh%20Angels%2C%20Alex%20Angels%2C%20Al%20Tuwaijri%20Fund%20and%20Saudi%20angel%20investor%20Faisal%20Al%20Abdulsalam%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More on animal trafficking
The specs
Engine: 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 380hp at 5,800rpm
Torque: 530Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Price: From Dh299,000 ($81,415)
On sale: Now
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
