Tag: afghan news

  • Afghanistan: Taliban bans opium poppy cultivation, drug business

    The ban comes right through opium harvesting season in southern Afghanistan, and a Taliban spokesman stated that farmers might be jailed and their vegetation burned in the event that they harvested poppy.

    The order additionally outlaws the business of heroin, cannabis and alcohol.

    Afghanistan’s booming opium economic system

    Opium poppy is the most important supply of employment and source of revenue in Afghanistan, with hundreds of thousands of farmers depending on harvesting opium to continue to exist.

    For the reason that Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021, the rustic’s economic system collapsed after world donors pulled investment. With out world improve, many roles in the private and non-private sectors dried up.

    Humanitarian organisations warn that Afghanistan may just face a starvation disaster, as folks don’t find the money for to shop for meals.

    In mild of the opium ban, Deputy High Minister Abdul Salam Hanafi has requested world donors for his or her cooperation to assist to find selection companies for farmers, Afghan media outlet TOLO information reported.

    Afghanistan is the arena’s best supply of opium, accounting for greater than 80% of the arena’s provide of opium merchandise, in keeping with the United Countries Administrative center of Medicine and Crime.

    Afghanistan generates annual earnings of a minimum of $1.8 billion (€1.6 billion) from generating opium merchandise, in keeping with UN information.

    The Taliban had imposed a identical ban on business of opium in overdue 1994 and early 1995. However the ban was once rescinded after the Taliban was once got rid of from energy in 2001.

  • Dual earthquakes in western Afghanistan kill a minimum of 22

    Two earthquakes rattled Afghanistan’s western Badghis province alongside the border with Turkmenistan on Monday afternoon, killing a minimum of 22 folks, a neighborhood professional mentioned.

    There have been fears the dying toll may just upward push additional as the primary rescuers reached one of the far off villages struck via the temblors in what’s one in all Afghanistan’s maximum impoverished and underdeveloped areas.

    Bas Mohammad Sarwari, leader of the province’s tradition and data division, mentioned ratings of houses have been destroyed within the quakes.

    The USA Geological Survey registered a magnitude 5.3 quake at 2 pm and a 2d, magnitude 4.9 at 4 pm native time. They struck 41 kilometers east and 50 kilometers southeast of Qala-e-Naw, the provincial capital.

    Sarwari says fearful citizens have been fleeing their properties for protection.

    The extra tough of the temblors hit Qadis district within the southern tip of the province, the place the vast majority of the wear and tear and deaths happened, consistent with Sarwari.

    Officers have been nonetheless amassing knowledge. By way of dusk most effective 4 villages were heard from, he mentioned. The primary 4.9 quake used to be focused in Muqur district, he mentioned.

    “The next day now we have plan to ship rescue groups in addition to help for the affected households,” he mentioned.

    Sarwari mentioned the tremors have been felt around the province. Some properties in Qala-e-Naw, the provincial capital, suffered cracks however no main accidents or common injury, he added.