UN Survey Finds 37% Spike in Afghan Poppy Cultivation

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN - The United Nations said Monday that opium cultivation in conflict-ridden Afghanistan increased by 37% in 2020 compared to the previous year, potentially producing an estimated 6,300 tons of opium.

The findings are part of a new survey the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) conducted in coordination with the Afghan National Statistics and Information Authority (NSIA). The survey came two days after the United States and NATO allies formally began pulling their troops from Afghanistan, a move intended to close nearly 20 years of international military engagement in the country. “The total area under opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan was estimated at 224,000 hectares in 2020, which represents an increase of 37%, or 61,000 hectares, when compared to 2019.”