Opium production in Afghanistan, a $3-billion-a-year trade accounting for more than 90 per cent of the world's illegal output, soared to frightening record levels this year, concentrated mainly in the strife-torn south where the ousted Taliban, which once banned poppy cultivation, now profits from the drugs trade, the United Nations reported today.

A United Nations envoy warned today that the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Afghanistan could rise significantly if the conflict there continues at the current rate, adding to the multitude of Afghans that have already fled their homes.

The United Nations today called for increased steps to protect civilians in Afghanistan as conflict and insecurity continue to affect thousands of people, with the number of those killed doubling from 2005 to 2006 and resurgent fighting in the south driving 80,000 others from their homes during the same period.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has provided crucial assistance to over 1,600 Afghan families returning home from Iran since the end of July thanks to the help of the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF).