Vienna, March 9. The UN body that monitors compliance with international drug treaties is concerned about the large-scale production of opium and methamphetamine in Afghanistan, as well as the lack of treatment programs for drug addicts.
In the annual report of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), made public this Thursday in Vienna, it is recalled that the cultivation of opium, necessary for the production of drugs such as heroin, has been maintained despite banning the Taliban, in government since August 2021.
“The INCB remains concerned about the large-scale cultivation and production of opium poppy in Afghanistan, where there is a pressing need to improve the prevention and treatment of drug addicts, especially women,” said the President of the Council. , Jagjit Pavadia.
The INCB is an organization made up of thirteen independent experts who monitor compliance with the international drug conventions.
UN experts recognize the serious humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and call for international aid to be channeled to the country to accommodate anti-drug policies.
Another worrying trend for the INCB is the growing production of methamphetamine, a synthetic stimulant which is then trafficked to neighboring countries such as Iran, Pakistan and countries in Central Asia.
“There is a high risk that heroin trafficking routes could be used for methamphetamine trafficking,” the report said.
Opium cultivation in Afghanistan reached 233,000 hectares in 2022, a 32% increase from the previous year.
The area cultivated in 2022 is the third since 1994, when the area planted with poppies began to be monitored.
The report recalls that in 2021, 86% of the world’s opium production came from Afghanistan.
The INCB says it has had no direct communication with the de facto authorities in Afghanistan, referring to the Taliban who took power in August 2021, but has continued to request that humanitarian assistance be provided to the population. . EFE
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