Alexander De Croo, head of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), says the 95 percent decline in opium poppy production in Afghanistan is a significant development and that the international community should not turn its back on the country.
He said Afghanistan is facing serious humanitarian and economic challenges due to a nearly 20 percent contraction of the economy, climate change and natural disasters, tensions with neighboring countries, and the return of nearly five million Afghans from Iran and Pakistan over the past year and a half.
The UNDP chief warned that turning away from Afghanistan could also have serious consequences for the international community over the next five to ten years.
De Croo stressed that international support for Afghanistan should not be limited to humanitarian assistance, but should also be used to promote the rights of women and girls, expand civic space, and strengthen the country’s economic stability.
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