In the shadows of the bustling streets of Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital city, lurks a grave threat that surpasses all others—the rampant drug abuse crisis plaguing the entire country.
Afghanistan, known as one of the world’s largest producers of heroin and methamphetamine, with a significant portion being smuggled abroad, is home to nearly 4 million drug users, according to the United Nations.
This escalating crisis has overwhelmed most of the country’s drug treatment and rehabilitation centers, leaving them ill-equipped to handle the situation.
Walking through what is considered a “gold standard” drug treatment center in Kabul is heart-wrenching. The conditions in this 1,000-bed facility are dire. Since the Taliban assumed power in 2021, international funding has ceased, leaving underpaid and poorly trained staff to manage the patients.
Food scarcity exacerbates the problem, offering little to no nutrition. The pharmacy shelves are practically empty, denying recovering patients the necessary resources for detoxification.
“My children have no one to feed them,” lamented one resident of the facility, echoing the desperate circumstances faced by countless others.
These residents, like many across the country, undergo a 45-day program that includes medical services and counseling before undergoing an assessment to determine if they can reintegrate with their families.
The de facto Taliban authorities have coerced these individuals, most of whom are malnourished and homeless, to live in these facilities “voluntarily” after being brought in by outreach teams.
However, conditions outside the prison-like walls of the treatment center are equally grim. Alongside severe poverty and ongoing insecurity, the region’s climate-driven weather extremes impose additional hardships on those living on the streets, subjecting them to bitterly cold winters and scorching hot summers.
Their suffering seems endless, with no relief in sight.
Yet, just across the border in Uzbekistan, a glimmer of hope emerges.
In the historic capital city of Tashkent, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Regional Office for Central Asia has established the “Information Centre for Researching and Analyzing Transnational Threats Related to Drugs and Crime.”
The head of the center, Salome Flores, explains their mission as follows: “to produce objective, impartial, and integrated knowledge for the right people at the right time.”
This approach allows decision-makers to make informed choices and facilitates a comprehensive understanding of the drug problem, particularly in Afghanistan. In 2022, opium production accounted for nine to fourteen percent of the country’s GDP, while synthetic drug production continues to rise.
The center collects data from various sources, including governments, open sources, social media, academic research, statistics, and on-the-ground counterparts in Afghanistan.
The center’s most invaluable tool is the methodology developed by UNODC over the past three decades for remote crop identification.
By combining ground surveys, advanced technology, and satellite imagery, UNODC has created distinct “signatures” to differentiate between different crops. This enables precise identification of opium poppy cultivation areas.
These signatures were developed through years of comparing satellite imagery with ground-truth information, with experts visiting specific GPS locations to verify initial analyses.
Today, UNODC possesses the capacity to identify various crops, including wheat, melons, alfalfa, cotton, and, crucially, opium poppies, with an exceptionally high degree of accuracy. The signatures even provide insights into the quality of the poppy fields and expected yields.
Alex Nobajas Ganau, a geographic information officer at the center, explains that the satellite imagery goes beyond mere pictures. It includes “extra information that can be used to identify the chlorophyll quantity and crop type in each agricultural plot of land.”
The center’s work is highly technical and sensitive, necessitating the utmost care in protecting the data, especially given the current political situation in Afghanistan. Mr. Ganau assures that the raw data is never shared over the internet or connected to servers to mitigate the risk of hacking. Instead, aggregated data is shared by district or province, rather than individual fields.
At the core of the Information Centre are four resourceful Afghans with extensive on-the-ground experience. Formerly part of UNODC’s Afghanistan team, they conducted field visits and surveys until the agency ceased these operations following the Taliban’s rise to power. These experts maintain regular contact with their colleagues who remain in Afghanistan, providing crucial data, particularly on drug pricing.
The dedication and expertise of the staff at the UNODC Information Centre are commendable. The Afghan team’s experience and passion are invaluable assets, as emphasized by Ms. Flores.
Undoubtedly, working in this field poses significant risks, especially for Afghan nationals. Saddiqi, one of the staff members who prefers to remain anonymous, emphasizes the differences in the situation within Afghanistan. While he takes pride in his work for UNODC, recognizing its immense benefit to his country, he hopes for gradual improvement in the future.
Ahmed Esmati, another team member, has been working at UNODC for over 16 years, starting as a surveyor. He managed to relocate his family from Afghanistan. While acknowledging the loss of several colleagues who lost their lives during field surveys, Mr. Esmati emphasizes the instrumental role of verifying satellite data and providing ground evidence in developing UNODC’s remote sensing activities. This approach leaves no room for data manipulation or misinformation.
Afghanistan stands as the world’s largest supplier of opium, accounting for approximately 80 percent of the global market. The Information Centre primarily focuses on monitoring opium production and cultivation, given the country’s widespread drug abuse. Since the political transition in Afghanistan, UNODC ceased ground surveys, marking the beginning of the Information Centre’s evolution.
As Central Asia Regional Representative Asita Mittal emphasizes, the UN believes in the neutrality of data, emphasizing the importance of quality and verifiable data to inform policies and practices.
While a sharp decline in opium cultivation is expected in 2023 due to the Taliban’s strict ban, the illicit drug supply continues to reach record levels globally, and trafficking networks are becoming increasingly agile.
Ms. Mittal highlights that the Information Centre holds significance not only for the United Nations, the region, and the international community but also for the de facto authorities themselves. Objective evidence is vital to assess the effectiveness of the Taliban’s ban on poppy cultivation and to present the truth to the international community.
Ms. Mittal cautions that it is still too early to determine the long-term results of the poppy ban, as thorough analysis by the Information Centre will require years of data. Nevertheless, with the crackdown on opium, indications suggest a shifting market. Synthetic and methamphetamine seizures are skyrocketing in the region, quadrupling in Tajikistan and increasing eleven-fold in Kyrgyzstan.
Ms. Mittal suggests that the ban on poppy cultivation in Afghanistan may prompt traffickers to divert their efforts towards increasing methamphetamine production. The ephedra plant, which grows naturally in the region, might play a role in this shift. However, Ms. Flores highlights that methamphetamine production can also stem from chemicals, cold medications, or bulk ephedrine. Understanding the dynamics of methamphetamine production will inform appropriate actions by the authorities.
For years, opium has flowed from Afghanistan through Central Asia and onward to various markets worldwide, including Europe, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Monitoring the drug trade in this region remains critical as traffickers seek new smuggling methods, and the rise of synthetic drugs poses a global problem.
Ms. Mittal emphasizes that illicit activities are profit-driven, with the most substantial profits occurring outside of countries like Afghanistan. For instance, even after the ban, the street value of a kilogram of heroin in London can exceed $48,000.
Thus, shared responsibility is crucial in addressing the issue, rather than solely attributing blame to Afghanistan, which does not produce precursor chemicals. Ms. Mittal highlights the need to confront vulnerabilities at both ends of the spectrum, preventing cultivation and use while investing in sustainable development alternatives.
The Information Centre plays a vital role in assessing the need for alternative development programs. Ms. Flores emphasizes the importance of providing farmers with viable alternatives to illicit crops, focusing on replacing them with licit crops. By understanding the geographic landscape and characteristics, resources and efforts can be targeted effectively.
Ms. Mittal stresses that investment in reducing vulnerabilities is essential. Illicit economies thrive when communities lack alternative means to sustain themselves. Sustainable development efforts are necessary to break the cycle of illicit activities driven by economic necessity.
The work of the Information Centre extends beyond monitoring opium cultivation. It analyzes transnational threats in the region, including human trafficking, smuggling of firearms, illicit mining, wildlife trafficking, and the growing trend of falsified medicines. As threats evolve and organized crime adapts, the Information Centre remains instrumental in addressing these challenges.
In light of the persisting human rights issues and the absence of sustainable development in Afghanistan, illicit activities will continue to plague the country and have far-reaching consequences. The Information Centre’s role is crucial in confronting these challenges head-on.
(Rewritten based on UN reports)
