Japan allocates $9.4m for counter-narcotics programme in Afghanistan — Pajhwok

KABUL (Pajhwok): The government Japan has allocated around $9.4 million for a two-year counter-narcotics programme in Afghanistan that is expected to benefit tens of thousands of people. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the project, titled “Strengthening Counter-Narcotics Capacity for Vulnerable People,” will be implemented by UNODC from September 2026 to September 2028 in Badakhshan, Badghis, Helmand, Kandahar and Takhar provinces. The project has a budget of 1.488 billion Japanese yen, equivalent to around $9.4 million, provided by Japan through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). UNODC said around 8,000 former poppy-growing families, comprising approximately 56,000 people, will benefit from alternative livelihood programmes under the project. In addition, around 45,000 people at risk of drug use or affected by drug-use disorders will receive prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and social reintegration services. Japanese Ambassador to Afghanistan Kenichi Masamoto said counter-narcotics was an area in which Afghanistan and the international community shared common interests and responsibilities. He said sustainable progress required Afghan ownership as well as support through constructive international partnerships. Masamoto also welcomed the continuation of talks under the UN-led Doha Process, describing it as an important platform for cooperation and confidence-building. Sota Tosaka, JICA’s senior representative in Afghanistan, said the project would build on previous cooperation between JICA and UNODC and create greater opportunities for vulnerable…