Kabul Faces Heavy Backlash Over Drug Trade

It is a well-known fact that a country's involvement in drug trade has a negative effect on its image and raises questions on that country's moral as well as social responsibility.

During the General Speakers List, Afghanistan was called to give its statement on the measures taken to prevent drug trade and prevention of drug use. The delegate of Afghanistan started by discussing the issue of the usage and circulation of a zombie drug, ‘KUSH’ and the undeniable involvement of the nation of Sierra Leone. The delegate accused Sierra Leone to have been consciously manufacturing and exporting Kush. During this, Sierra Leone’s accountability was brought into question but the delegate of the country in question chose to remain silent on the topic. The delegate of Afghanistan claimed that the government has been taking strict measures to restrict any sort of drug trade within the country as well as international drug trafficking, following in the footsteps of El Salvador. Further into the statement, the delegate condemned several nations for applying sanctions on Afghanistan and denying trade over false accusations of Afghanistan being involved in the trade of drugs. The delegate of the United States of America was pointed out for freezing Afghanistan’s accounts and denying financial aid. The delegate of Afghanistan even called out the nations for being insensitive towards the county’s current economic situation and the impending famine. 

After this statement, Afghanistan was subjected to heavy fire by the accused nations. The delegate of the United States of America said that Afghanistan had failed as a society as it itself was involved in the trade of drugs. Further, China too accused Afghanistan for serving as a medium for international drug trafficking that bloomed under the Taliban. Afghanistan obviously declined and claimed to have no involvement. The delegate attempted to defend his nation by saying that how could a country which does not even have money for providing the citizens with basic necessities like food be involved in drug trade. But in the end, all the efforts made by the delegate to justify his country turned out to be futile. 

The backlash did not end here. The delegate of Portugal stated that production of opium had come to an end under Taliban rule but it also presented the locals with the complication of lost means of income and asked if Afghanistan had a solution to the mentioned issue. This is when the delegate of Afghanistan seemed to be unable to come up with a suitable response that included resolutions and took an easy route out by circling back to the issue of sanctions.

By Yamia Khanna