One-Third Of Afghan Families Vulnerable To Drugs, Says UN

The World Health Organisation (WHO) announced that a UN delegation visited a treatment and rehabilitation centre for women and children addicted to drugs in Kabul. The organisation added in a statement that drugs have affected a third of Afghan families.

According to a statement from the World Health Organisation (WHO), the UN delegation, including the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General Roza Otunbayeva, the Under-Secretary-General for Support Operations and a representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), visited the centre on Sunday, December 22.

"Decades of conflict and instability have left many Afghans vulnerable to mental health problems such as anxiety and depression, which have led to a widespread drug use crisis affecting a third of families," according to the statement.

"I was deeply touched by the resistance of women and children here," said Roza Otunbayeva. The centre is a testament to the power of hope and international solidarity. Cooperation between different organisations gives women and children the opportunity to heal,” she added.

According to the World Health Organisation, this year, 640 women and children have been admitted to the centre and 602 people have been treated.

The World Health Organisation also announced that in the past two years, 170,000 people have benefited from extensive education and support programmes for the recovery and treatment of people with drug abuse.

Recently, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) announced that opium production in Afghanistan has increased by 30% in 2024 compared to the previous year.

According to the statistics of this office, contrary to the orders of the Taliban leader, 433 tons of opium were produced in Afghanistan this year.