The United Nations has announced that opium production in Afghanistan has increased sharply despite the Taliban's ban on poppy cultivation.
The UN Office on Drugs and Crime says the area under poppy cultivation in Afghanistan has quadrupled since last year, and opium production has increased fivefold to about 300 tonnes.
This is the first significant increase in opium cultivation and production in Afghanistan since the Taliban imposed a ban in 2022, the United Nations said.
The organization says some poor Afghan farmers have returned to poppy cultivation to support their families.
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