Japan and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) have launched a $9.4 million initiative aimed at supporting vulnerable communities affected by Afghanistan’s drug economy.

The two-year project, funded by the Government of Japan through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), will run from September 2026 to September 2028 in Badakhshan, Badghis, Helmand, Kandahar and Takhar provinces.

A grant agreement for the initiative, titled “Strengthening Counternarcotics Capacities for Vulnerable People,” was signed in Kabul on Thursday. Japan has allocated JPY 1.488 billion, approximately $9.4 million, for the project.

The initiative will focus on rural communities that previously depended on poppy cultivation for their livelihoods, while expanding prevention and treatment services for people affected by or at risk of drug use.

UNODC said about 8,000 former poppy-growing households, representing an estimated 56,000 people, are expected to benefit from alternative livelihood programmes.

A further 45,000 people affected by or at risk of drug use are expected to receive support through prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and reintegration services.

The project builds on a previous counternarcotics programme implemented by UNODC with JICA support between 2024 and 2026.

Japan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan, Kenichi Masamoto, said counternarcotics was an area where Afghanistan and the international community shared common interests and responsibilities.

He said sustainable progress depended on Afghan ownership supported by constructive international cooperation, and welcomed continued dialogue through the Doha Process as a platform for cooperation and confidence-building.

JICA Chief Representative for Afghanistan Sota Tosaka said the agency would build on its longstanding partnership with UNODC to expand opportunities for vulnerable communities to establish sustainable livelihoods and strengthen their resilience and self-reliance.

UNODC Country Representative for Afghanistan Polleak Ok Serei said Japan’s continued support was important in addressing the challenges posed by illicit drug economies and drug use.

He said the project’s combination of alternative livelihoods, drug-use prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and international cooperation would support practical and sustainable solutions for healthier and more resilient communities.

The initiative will also contribute to the objectives of the Doha Process Counternarcotics Working Group, which seeks to promote coordinated national and international action against illicit drugs while supporting Afghanistan’s reintegration into the international community and compliance with its international obligations.

Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), has issued a five-article decree ordering the Ministry of Interior Affairs to arrest those responsible for traffic accidents on the country’s highways and refer them to the relevant courts.

Under the decree, the Ministry of Transport and Aviation has been instructed to fully cooperate with the Ministry of Interior in identifying and arresting those responsible for traffic accidents, as well as collecting relevant information and evidence.

The decree also instructs courts to prioritize cases related to traffic accidents and ensure the rights of the victims’ heirs are protected.

The order comes amid a reported increase in traffic accidents on Afghanistan’s highways in recent months, with the number of fatalities also rising.

The United States has ruled out cooperation with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) on developing the country’s mineral resources, saying Washington has no plans to engage with the Afghan authorities.

A US State Department spokesperson told media that the United States does not do business with the Islamic Emirate and has no plans to cooperate with it on Afghanistan’s mining sector.

The statement follows comments by Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, who called on the United States to invest in Afghanistan’s mining, infrastructure, agriculture and trade sectors.

Muttaqi said the Islamic Emirate welcomes US investment and urged Washington to look beyond the two decades of war in assessing relations between the two countries.

In an interview with the Financial Times, he said Afghanistan and the United States should focus on future cooperation rather than their past conflict.

Meanwhile, IEA spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said on Wednesday that Afghanistan needs good diplomatic and economic relations with Washington.