Since the return of Taliban rule, Afghanistan has been facing an increasingly precarious situation. The departure of foreign military forces, induction of rigid Taliban rule, stumbling of development projects, the breakdown of the Afghan state, the economic and monetary sanctions against the Taliban, and many other developments over the past year have caused a total collapse of the Afghan economy, driving millions of people into poverty, and causing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.
“Afghanistan has become a sanctuary for extremist outfits like ISKP, TTP and ETIM.”
Since the Taliban’s return to power, the country has become a sanctuary for extremist outfits like ISKP, TTP and ETIM, who exploit ungoverned territory to rebuild networks and plot cross-border attacks. What is more concerning is that Afghanistan’s descent into chaos is no longer just a regional concern, it is morphing into a global crisis.
Given the security and political dynamics on the ground, many potential regional and global implications are emerging in Afghanistan including intra-Taliban fragmentation, prevalence of regional and global terrorist groups, rising anti-Taliban resistance, thriving illicit economy and drug trade, and large-scale movements of people.
At the same time, the Taliban’s failure to govern has fueled the rise of narcotics trafficking and human rights abuses, particularly against women and minorities who have been systematically stripped of education, mobility, and dignity.
Afghanistan continued to account for the majority (80 per cent) of global illicit opium production in 2022. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reported that as of 2023, an estimated 27,000 individuals (including 2,670 women and 2,150 children under 15) were engaged in high-risk drug use in Afghanistan,
“The toxic mix of extremism, narcotics and rights abuses in Afghanistan threatens regional stability and global security.”
Whereas, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) recent reports, Afghanistan is now emerging as a production hub for methamphetamine, expanding far beyond traditional opiate markets. The increase in the use and manufacture of methamphetamine in Afghanistan is of growing concern in South-West Asia, where trafficking in the substance is expanding beyond this region. There are indications that methamphetamine manufacture has increased in Afghanistan in recent years.
Globally, drug usage has surged by 23% over the past decade, with 296 million users in 2021, while those suffering from drug use disorders jumped to 39.5 million, a 45% increase. These figures are not isolated statistics; they reflect how Afghan instability is contributing to a dangerous global narcotics boom that intersects with terrorism financing and regional instability.
In Afghanistan, the growth of addiction to narcotics has followed the same hyperbolic pattern of opium production. The toxic mix of extremism, narcotics, and rights abuses in Afghanistan threatens regional stability and global security. Afghanistan has become a country synonymous with danger. Discourses of narcotics, terrorism, and narcoterrorism have come to define the country and the current conflict situation inside the country.
“Afghanistan continued to account for the majority, 80 per cent, of global illicit opium production in 2022.”
However, despite the prevalence of these dangers globally, they are seldom treated as political representations. After decades of war-related trauma, unlimited availability of cheap narcotics and limited access to treatment have created a major, and growing, addiction problem in Afghanistan. Europol has recently warned of narcoterrorism spreading westward, which means it is destabilizing the wider region, posing growing threats to Europe and beyond. Ignoring these risks could turn Afghanistan into a long-term hub of insecurity. It is high time that this multifaceted problem is addressed with a global response.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not represent the views, beliefs, or policies of the Stratheia.
