UN Reports Sharp Fall in Afghanistan Opium Production
World | September 2, 2009, Wednesday // 10:29| viewsThe biggest opium production falls have been in Helmand province, but levels remain higher than three years ago, when troops began fighting Taliban militants there. Photo by wordpress.com
Opium poppy cultivation and production in Afghanistan has decreased sharply, according to a United Nations report.
The UN Office on Drugs and Crime says opium cultivation has dropped by 22% in a year and production by 10%.
The UN says the drugs trade, which helps fund the insurgency, threatens the legitimacy of the Afghan state.
The UNODC report called on the international community to sustain progress in Afghanistan, which produces 90% of the world's heroin.
The biggest falls have been in Helmand province, but levels remain higher than three years ago, when troops began fighting Taliban militants there, the BBC reported.
The report came ahead of a meeting in Paris of European and US officials to discuss a new strategy in Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, vote counting is still ongoing from last month's Afghan election, which has been mired in claims of mass rigging.
The security situation in the country has been deteriorating, and the death toll of foreign troops is at a record high.
We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!
Back