Addressing an event on Tuesday, the CEO Abdullah Abdullah said poppy cultivation and drug production increased by over 90 percent in Afghanistan – despite millions of dollars spent to overcome the problem in the past few years.

Abdullah meanwhile said poppy cultivation has increased by 400 percent in northern Afghanistan.
 
“There are figures which show a 90 percent increase in poppy cultivation and drug production in Afghanistan and also when you see the map, and based on the UNODC report, poppy cultivation and drug production has increased by at least 400 percent in the north of Afghanistan,” he added.
 
Abdullah called on regional and foreign countries to help Afghanistan in counternarcotic efforts.
 
“Whether the statistics of 40 percent or 60 percent are low or high it (drugs) is the income sources for war in Afghanistan. We continue our efforts to pay more focus on this matter,” he said. 
 
At the same event, the Minister of Counternarcotics Salamat Azimi stressed the need for a consensus to fight drugs in the region and in the world.
 
“A fragmented fight of governments cannot overcome this problem; all countries should come together to fight this problem,” he said.