Afghanistan

Accounting for 90 per cent of global output, illicit opium cultivation in Afghanistan is a major obstacle for the reconstruction and development of a country that has suffered over 30 years of conflict. In 2010, UNODC estimated opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan at 123,000 hectares. There was no change in cultivated area compared to 2009, whereas the cultivated area of 2009 accounted for a decrease of 22 per cent when compared to 2008.

Of Afghanistan's 34 provinces, 20 were poppy-free in 2009 (compared to 18 in 2008) and remained poppy-free in 2010.

UNODC contributes to the reconstruction and development of the country through its evidence-based policy that guides the delivery of effective counter-narcotic, criminal justice and alternative livelihoods activities. UNODC has partnered with the Government of Afghanistan, in particular its Ministry of Counter-Narcotics, as well as other United Nations entities and stakeholders, to deliver alternative livelihoods assistance at both the regional and provincial levels. Significant progress in decreasing communities' dependence on the opium economy is visible in some areas of Afghanistan, particularly in the northern and western regions.

In Afghanistan, UNODC is involved in the following:

Building a counter-narcotic strategy: The detrimental impact of opium poppy cultivation and opium trafficking in Afghanistan has stimulated efforts by both the Government and the international community to find solutions by enacting a combination of strategies, including by identifying alternative livelihoods for small-scale opium poppy farmers. UNODC contributes to these efforts through a team of alternative livelihoods experts based in Kabul, Badakhshan and Herat. These experts support the Ministry of Counter-Narcotics' provincial offices in a variety of tasks focusing on programme coordination and knowledge management. This support will be extended to the other Government ministries in succeeding years, with a view to assist the Ministry of Counter-Narcotics in implementing its mandate of counter-narcotics mainstreaming.

 

Afghanistan Opium Poppy Free Road Map: UNODC, in close collaboration with the Government of Afghanistan and other key stakeholders, continues to support the strategy contained in Afghanistan - Opium Poppy Free Road Map and Provincial Profiles. The road map contained in that document is aimed at increasing the number of opium-free provinces, consolidating progress made over the years and preventing a return to opium poppy cultivation. The approach promotes operational coordination at the field level, augmenting synergy and the impact of existing interventions in a cost-effective manner.

Alternative development interventions in Afghanistan