An annual report by the United Nations indicates Afghanistan as the third largest producer of opium after Myanmar and Laos, questioning the consumption of over $7 billion aimed at eliminating the phenomenon during the past 13 years.
The United Nations Office of Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) have released its yearly report that indicates that Afghanistan is still the top country in producing heroin.
For the third consecutive year, the report added that Afghanistan saw an increase in the area under cultivation (from 154,000 hectares in 2012 to 209,000 hectares in 2013).
According to the UN report, opiates and opioids top the list of problem drugs that cause the most burdens of disease and drug-related deaths worldwide.
However, the Afghan Ministry of Counter-Narcotics (MCN) believes as long as the regional countries do not help Afghanistan in arresting the smuggling mafia leaders, this occurrence will not be eliminated.
"Unfortunately the regional countries are not sincere in combating this phenomenon," Deputy MCN Minister Muhammad Ibrahim Zahoor said. "The only thing we can say now is this report is accurate."
Based on the ministry statistics, poppy cultivation has increased this year by seven percent where the overall drug production inclined by 17 percent.
"Until the demands for opium does not decline, neither we nor the world will be able to tackle the problem," Zahoor added.
Located in the southern Afghanistan, Helmand is the top province where the largest amounts of poppies are cultivated; which is a financial source for insurgents.
A representative of Helmand, MP Nematullah Ghafari said, "There is no strong will, neither inside nor outside Afghanistan, to eradicate poppy cultivation."
LINK: https://www.ansarpress.com/english/3121
Farkhunda Buried, Ghani Appoints Fact-Finding Team
