KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Sources in Afghanistan’s southwestern Nimruz province reported that at least 50 drug addicts and homeless individuals have died over the past month due to hunger, unsanitary conditions, and cold weather.
A source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told KabulNow that the bodies of these individuals were collected from the streets and various locations in Zaranj, the provincial capital, during November.
The Taliban authorities in Nimruz have not yet commented on the matter. However, the province, located in southwestern Afghanistan along the border with Iran, has long been a major hub for drug trafficking and consumption.
local Taliban officials estimate that there are between 12,000 and 13,000 drug addicts in Nimruz, with at least 5,000 of them homeless and living on the streets.
Although the Taliban authorities in Nimruz have repeatedly reported collecting and treating drug addicts in the region, local sources blame some Taliban officials, alleging their involvement in the drug trade, which has contributed to the rise in addiction in the province.
Shir Agha, a resident of Nimruz, said that corruption is a key factor behind the rise in drug addiction in the province. He added that anti-drug agencies in Afghanistan mostly engage with drug traffickers, making money through these interactions.
According to him, many streets and houses in Zaranj city are locations where drugs are sold, and despite the Taliban authorities being aware of this, they take no action to stop it.
Afghanistan was the world’s top opium producer for decades, supplying about 80% of the global market. The country is also known as the drug addiction capital of the world, with an estimated 4 million people – out of a population of around 40 million – struggling with addiction, according to the UN Development Programme (UNDP).
The Taliban, which financed its decades-long insurgency through the drug trade, imposed a ban on poppy cultivation in 2022, aiming to curb the production of opium used in heroin production. Following the ban, the UN reported a significant decline in poppy cultivation in 2022 and 2023. However, in 2024, the UN observed a 30% increase in opium production compared to the previous year.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s economy, once heavily reliant on foreign aid, is now on the brink of collapse, struggling with the loss of international support, climate-related challenges, displacement, and rising global food inflation.
The country is experiencing one of the worst humanitarian crises, with over half of its population, mostly women and children, in need of lifesaving assistance. As winter approaches, humanitarian agencies are warning of worsening conditions and urging for funding to alleviate the crisis and prevent vulnerable families from succumbing to starvation and poverty.
