Japan and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) have launched a new $9.4 million programme to support vulnerable communities in Afghanistan, expand alternative livelihoods for former poppy-growing families and strengthen drug prevention and treatment services in five provinces.
The agreement was signed in Kabul on Thursday, September 3, according to a joint statement from UNODC and the Government of Japan. The two-year initiative, funded through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), will run from September 2026 to September 2028 in Badakhshan, Badghis, Helmand, Kandahar and Takhar.
The project is funded with JPY 1.488 billion (approximately $9.4 million) from the Government of Japan, while UNODC will implement the programme in partnership with JICA. It follows an earlier counternarcotics initiative carried out between 2024 and 2026 and is designed to help communities move away from dependence on poppy cultivation through sustainable economic opportunities.
Under the programme, UNODC says about 8,000 former poppy-growing households; around 56,000 people will receive support through alternative livelihood projects, including agriculture and income-generating activities. The initiative also aims to reach approximately 45,000 people affected by drug use or at risk of substance use through prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and reintegration services.
Japan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan, Kenichi Masamoto, said counternarcotics remains an area of shared responsibility between Afghanistan and the international community. He added that sustainable progress requires Afghan ownership supported by constructive international partnerships and welcomed continued dialogue under the Doha Process as a platform for cooperation and confidence-building.
JICA’s Chief Representative for Afghanistan, Sota Tosaka, said the programme seeks to expand opportunities for vulnerable people to build sustainable livelihoods, strengthen resilience and restore dignity and self-reliance, while supporting Afghanistan’s long-term stability and regional cooperation.
UNODC Country Representative Polleak Ok Serei said the initiative combines alternative livelihoods with drug prevention, treatment and rehabilitation to address both the causes and consequences of illicit drug economies in Afghanistan. He said the project is intended to promote healthier, safer and more resilient communities through evidence-based and development-oriented approaches.
The programme comes as Afghanistan continues to face widespread humanitarian and economic challenges following a sharp decline in international aid and growing poverty in rural areas. UN agencies have repeatedly warned that the loss of livelihoods and limited economic opportunities increase the vulnerability of communities previously dependent on poppy cultivation.
UNODC said the initiative forms part of its broader counternarcotics strategy in Afghanistan and supports the objectives of the Doha Process Counternarcotics Working Group, which aims to strengthen national and international cooperation on drug control while supporting Afghanistan’s reintegration into the international community in line with international standards.
