UNODC Reports Economic Hardship Following Taliban’s Opium Cultivation Ban in Afghanistan

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has reported that following the Taliban administration’s ban on opium poppy cultivation, farmers who had relied on this crop for years have lost their primary source of income.

According to the report, the direct consequence of this situation has been severe harm to local communities in various provinces of Afghanistan, where reduced purchasing power of villagers has drastically limited local money circulation and economic activities.

UNODC warns that this economic pressure, especially in rural areas, has increased food insecurity and placed families already struggling with poverty in even more vulnerable conditions.

Critics argue that the Taliban administration implemented this ban without providing sustainable livelihood alternatives, effectively making poor farmers and rural communities bear the costs. This issue calls for accountability and transparent planning to support the livelihoods of the people.