According to the Afghanistan Opium Survey 2023, published by the agency on Sunday, the supply of opium has declined by an estimated 95 percent, from 6,200 tons in 2022 to 333 tons in 2023, corresponding to a decline in the area under cultivation, from From 233,000 hectares to only 10,800 hectares in the same period.
The near-total contraction of the opiate economy is expected to have far-reaching consequences, UNODC said, highlighting the urgent need for alternative development support for rural communities to build an opium-free future for the Afghan people.
“This offers a real opportunity to build long-term results against the illicit opium market and the damage it causes both locally and globally,” said Ghada Waly, Executive Director of UNODC.
“At the same time, there are important consequences and risks that need to be addressed for an outcome that is ultimately positive and sustainable, especially for the people of Afghanistan,” she added.
Humanitarian consequences
The research found that the sharp decline has had immediate humanitarian consequences for many vulnerable rural communities that relied on income from opium cultivation.
Farmers’ income from selling 2023 harvested opium to traders fell by more than 92 percent, from an estimated $1,360 million for the 2022 harvest to $110 million in 2023, the study said.
“Today, the Afghan people urgently need humanitarian assistance to meet their most immediate needs, to cushion the shock of lost revenues and to save lives,” Ms. Waly said, noting that the country will face will require strong investments in sustainable livelihoods. , to offer farmers opportunities outside the opium sector.
Treatment options limited
UNODC also highlighted that while there are high levels of opiate use in Afghanistan, evidence-based treatment options remain limited.
It called for the integration of evidence-based treatment into public health measures and responses, including to prevent people with opiate use disorders from turning to potentially even more harmful substances.
Beyond Afghanistan
Outside Afghanistan, less heroin could lead to less trafficking and use, or fuel the rise of harmful alternatives such as fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, UNODC warned.
Seizure data shows traffickers are selling their opium stocks from previous record harvests to weather the 2023 shortage, while heroin processing has declined.
However, trafficking in other drugs, namely methamphetamine, has increased dramatically in the region.