Afghan farmers lose income of more than USD 1 billion after the Taliban banned poppy cultivation
Islamabad (AP): Afghan farmers have lost income of more than USD 1 billion from opium sales after the Taliban outlawed poppy cultivation, according to a report from the UN drugs agency published on Sunday.
Afghanistan was the world's biggest opium producer and a major source for heroin in Europe and Asia when the Taliban seized power in August 2021.
They pledged to wipe out the country's drug cultivation industry and imposed a formal ban in April 2022, dealing a heavy blow to hundreds of thousands of farmers and day labourers who relied on proceeds from the crop to survive.
Opium cultivation crashed by 95 per cent after the ban, the report from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime said.
Until 2023, the value of Afghanistan's opiate exports frequently outstripped the value of its legal exports.
UN officials said the strong contraction of the opium economy is expected to have far-reaching consequences for the country as opiate exports before the ban accounted for between 9-14 per cent of the national GDP.
Afghans need urgent humanitarian assistance to meet their most immediate needs, absorb the shock of lost income and save lives, said UNODC executive director, Ghada Waly.
"Afghanistan is in dire need of strong investment in sustainable livelihoods to provide Afghans with opportunities away from opium," she said.
Afghans are dealing with drought, severe economic hardship and the continued consequences of decades of war and natural disasters.
The downturn, along with the halt of international financing that propped up the economy of the former Western-backed government, is driving people into poverty, hunger, and addiction.
A September report from the UNODC said that Afghanistan is the world's fastest-growing maker of methamphetamine, with seizures of the synthetic drug increasing as poppy cultivation shrinks.
Lower incomes along the opiate supply chain could stimulate other illegal activities like the trafficking of arms, people or synthetic drugs, the most recent UNODC report said.
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Woman dies hours after delivery baby girl in Hassan; Family alleges medical negligence
Hassan: The death of a 30-year-old woman within hours of delivering a baby girl has triggered protests in Hassan, with her family alleging medical negligence and delay in treatment.
The deceased has been identified as Shruthi (30), wife of Puneeth of Hanumanahalli village in Hassan taluk. She was originally from K.R. Pet and was working as a guest teacher at the Government Primary School in Chikkagadenahalli. Her husband Puneeth is employed as a bus driver at the K.R. Pet depot.
Shruthi was admitted to the Government Women and Children’s Hospital in Hassan for delivery. She delivered a healthy baby girl through normal delivery. However, soon after childbirth, her health reportedly deteriorated.
Family members alleged that doctors informed them she required a large quantity of blood. They said blood was arranged immediately, but they were later advised to shift her to another hospital for further treatment. As it was Sunday, timely treatment was not provided, the family claimed. Shruthi reportedly died on the way to another hospital.
Her husband Puneeth alleged that negligence on the part of doctors led to the tragedy.
Meanwhile, the newborn baby is undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit at the Government Women and Children’s Hospital (HIMS), Hassan. Doctors are said to be monitoring the infant’s condition.
The incident falls under the Hassan Town police station limits. Police have begun collecting information, and further legal action may be taken based on medical records and the post-mortem report.
