Stupéfiants, crime et terrorisme
6. Methods
A structured survey of drug treatment facilities operating in Afghanistan was conducted in December 2022. This survey was based on discussions held with the Directorate of DDR from MoPH, as well as with civil society organizations (CSOs) involved in providing drug treatment services, and it covered all provinces in the country.
What does the opiate supply chain look like and why focus on stockpiles only within Afghanistan?
In rough terms, the opiate (opium and heroin) supply chain emanating from Afghanistan is shaped like an hourglass. That is, there are many cultivators, farmers, and labourers, such as lancers (the workers who cut the seedpods of mature poppies and collect opium gum), involved in poppy cultivation and opium production and many retailers of heroin in end markets.
Afghanistan drug insights volume 2: 2024 opium production and rural development
Opium production and the challenges faced by farmers after two years of reduced poppy cultivation
2. Main conclusions
The evolving drug market landscape in Afghanistan, influenced by recent drug policy changes, may further strain the already limited treatment options for drug rehabilitation, as documented in this report. Most of the treatment services in the country are provided by residential DTCs, which may not fully address the diverse treatment needs and the number of people in need of treatment in the country, which could benefit from integrated communitybased services tailored to less severe cases. Additionally, while women make up a substantial proportion of people using drugs in the country, over half of the facilities providing SUD treatment offer services exclusively for men. Moreover, only just above one-third of the provinces have facilities with services available for women.
Policy and programmatic implications
The continued trafficking of opium stocks funds transnational organized crime, calling for support of countries neighbouring Afghanistan to locate and liquidate opium stocks.
Acknowledgements
This report was prepared by the Research and Trend Analysis Branch, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), supported by the UNODC Information Centre for Researching and Analysing Translational Threats Related to Drugs and Crime.
Overview of criminal activities in CETM supply chains
Criminal activities in CETM supply chains are difficult to categorize and current knowledge remains limited. This is due to several factors: the complexity and diversity of supply chains, the physical and geographical differences among minerals, the relatively recent develop-ment of many mining projects, and the limited international attention to the role of crime in responsible mining discourse.
Environmental and social harms linked to regulatory vulnerabilities
Mining is a harmful practice for the envi-ronment, with serious repercussions for the health of both human populations and surrounding ecosystems.
Why ground information is essential to opium poppy monitoring
Afghanistan’s diverse topography, ranging from the mountainous terrain of Badakhshan to the arid plains of Helmand, creates varying environmental conditions that affect how poppy fields appear in satellite imagery.
Developments in the opiate and methamphetamine markets
An analysis of available drug seizure and price data in and around Afghanistan show clearly that regional opiate markets continue to experience supply disruptions due to declining opium production.
Opium poppy cultivation and opium production in Afghanistan 2025
Starting with the 2023 crop season, the De facto Authorites in Afghanistan enforced a nationwide narcotic ban that forbade production, trafficking and use of any form of drugs.