Afghanistan's Opium Supply Dips by 95% Following Taliban Ban, Prompting Humanitarian Concerns

UN reports warn of severe economic hardship as poppy prohibition slashes farmers' income by 92%, risking surge in illicit activities and escalating humanitarian crisis amidst ongoing drought and aid cuts.

Since the Taliban outlawed poppy cultivation in April 2022, opium production in Afghanistan dropped from 6,200 tons to 333 tons in 2023, with the cultivated area shrinking from 233,000 hectares to 10,800 hectares, resulting in a 95% decrease in supply.
The decline in opium production has slashed farmers' income by 92%, from $1.36 billion to $110 million in 2023, impacting hundreds of thousands of farmers and day laborers who relied on the crop.
The opium prohibition is expected to have extensive consequences for the country's economy, as opiate exports before the ban accounted for 9-14% of the national GDP.
The UN warns of the risk of people previously involved in the opium industry turning towards other illegal activities, such as trafficking arms, humans, or synthetic drugs, with Afghanistan already emerging as the world's fastest-growing producer of methamphetamine.
Amidst three years of consecutive drought and a decrease in international aid following the Taliban takeover, the decline in opium crop income adds to an escalating humanitarian crisis, further impoverishing the country's vulnerable rural communities and returning refugees.