Amu:At least two people have been killed and about 14 others wounded in ongoing clashes between local residents and Taliban forces in Afghanistan’s northeastern Badakhshan province, local sources said on Saturday. The fighting began on Thursday in Argo district and was continuing into Friday, the sources said. Residents and local officials attributed the unrest to
Amu: Cannabis is the most widely used and perceived drug among men in Afghanistan, according to a new assessment by the UN Development Program (UNDP), highlighting persistent substance use challenges despite a nationwide ban imposed by the Taliban in 2023. The assessment, based on interviews with more than 10,000 people across 21 provinces, found that
8am: The Taliban’s claims of economic self-sufficiency and reduced narcotics production are superficial, short-term achievements designed to preserve the power of the ruling elite. In contrast, the people of Afghanistan face polluted villages, generations of illness, widespread poverty, suppression of women, and destruction of prospects for sustainable development. Click here to read more (external link).
Khaama: A new United Nations report reveals that opium farmers in northern Afghanistan are struggling to replace lost income following bans on poppy cultivation. Surveys conducted in Badakhshan, Balkh, and Kunduz provinces show 85 percent of households have been unable to offset revenue losses, leaving communities in urgent need of economic support. Click here to
Khaama: Afghanistan’s opium cultivation fell by 20% in 2025, but UNODC warned synthetic drug production and trafficking are rapidly expanding nationwide. Officials said organized crime groups are shifting to synthetics due to lower costs, easier concealment, and resistance to climate impacts. Click here to read more (external link). Related Taliban Asked UN Not To Report
8am: On Wednesday, September 17, UNAMA released a report stating that among 27,000 drug users observed in public places, 2,670 were women and more than 2,000 were children. According to the report, 75 percent of injecting drug users share equipment, while access to quality treatment—especially in rural areas—remains extremely limited. Click here to read more
Ariana: Pakistan has overtaken Afghanistan as the world’s largest source of opium, a development that experts warn could inject millions of dollars into terrorist networks and reshape the region’s security landscape, according to a report by The Telegraph. The report highlights that large-scale, open poppy cultivation is now more widespread in Pakistan than in Afghanistan,
Afghanistan International: Following the Taliban’s official ban on opium cultivation and trafficking, some Taliban officials and drug smugglers have turned to producing methamphetamine, locally known as shisha, derived from the ephedra plant, known in Afghanistan simply as ephedra. An investigation by Afghanistan International indicates that certain Taliban figures are directly involved in the ephedra trade.
Khaama: Tajikistan authorities have reported ten armed confrontations with drug traffickers along the Afghanistan border during the first half of this year, marking a significant increase compared to the same period last year. Authorities in Tajikistan have consistently expressed concern about the presence of terrorist groups and drug trafficking networks operating from Afghanistan territory. These
Amu: The day Setara, a young woman in Badakhshan Province in northeastern Afghanistan, passed the university entrance exam was the day she believed her life would begin. Instead, it ended in a poppy field. Once dreaming of becoming a teacher, the young woman from Badakhshan, whose name has been changed in this story to protect