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Afghanistan opium poppy cultivation surges despite Taliban govt ban: UN
- On Thursday, the United Nations reported that Afghanistan's opium poppy cultivation more than quadrupled in 2026, reaching 43,000 hectares despite a Taliban government ban, with production jumping fivefold to 1,500 tonnes.
- UNODC Executive Director Monica Juma noted the increase reveals poverty's grip on farmers; one hectare of poppy generates $10,000 compared to just over $770 for wheat, making alternatives economically unviable.
- Farmers like 22-year-old Mohammad told AFP, "Without opium, we cannot even afford basic food," while UNODC estimates only 10 percent of the required $500 million for alternative development has been funded.
- Clashes erupted in May as Afghan security forces moved to destroy opium fields in Badakhshan, killing two people, though Taliban authorities claim to have destroyed more than 22,000 hectares.
- UNODC Country Representative for Afghanistan Polleak Ok Serei called for a "drug demand reduction strategy, not only in Afghanistan but also outside of Afghanistan," citing Thailand's 15-year alternative livelihood investment as essential.
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Taliban’s poppy ban falters as Afghan farmers say they can’t feed their children - Regional Media News
By Mohammad Yunus Yawar , Sayed Hassib and Ahmad Masih Noori BABA YUSUF, Afghanistan, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Carpets still hang on the walls of Mohammad Dawood's home in a northern Afghanistan village, and ornate mirrors still catch the light, relics of the years when [...]
The cultivation of poppies for opium has increased sharply in Afghanistan, despite the drug ban instituted by the Taliban authorities in 2022. The number of hectares on which poppies are grown has quadrupled in the past year, the United Nations reports in a report published on Thursday.
·Apeldoorn, Netherlands (Kingdom of the)
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources32
Leaning Left5Leaning Right4Center6Last UpdatedBias Distribution40% Center
Bias Distribution
- 40% of the sources are Center
40% Center
L 33%
C 40%
R 27%
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