The bodies of 59 Afghans who allegedly had substance-abuse problems have been found in fresh graves in Kabul after Taliban authorities cleared out the Pul-e Sokhta district. Afghans using drugs in the area have been rounded up, many have been beaten, and others locked in prison cells.
UNICEF: Severe winter weather conditions, with temperatures well below freezing in most of the country, have increased the number of acute respiratory infections. More than 25,000 cases were reported in December 2022 – double the number of cases reported in December in the last three years. Children under five make up 65 to 75 per
By RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi Abubakar Siddique February 16, 2023 A devastating humanitarian and economic crisis has forced millions of Afghans to find new sources of income. A growing number of them have turned to the booming methamphetamine industry to eke out a living and stave off starvation. Among them is Ahmad Wali, who lives in the
8am: The Taliban are collecting 600 AFG as tax for every KG of opium smuggled through Nimruz border, Afghanistan. Adding that the price of opium has also increased in domestic markets, sources told Hasht-e Subh on Saturday that drug trafficking under the Taliban administration is carried out legally. Click here to read more (external link).
Ariana: Pul-e-Sokhta, in the west of Kabul, has for more than 20 years been the hub for drug addicts and their dealers in the city, but this week, the area was cleared by police, Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) [Taliban] officials said. Khaled Zadran, Kabul Police Command spokesman, said that Pul-e- Sokhta has been completely
Khaama: After taking power last August, the Taliban promised to crack down on narcotics and explicitly ban the production, processing and sale of illicit drugs. On the contrary, the drug trade in Afghanistan did not only remain untouched but boomed to a great extent. The number of drug addicts including men, women and young children
8am: Mohammad Masoud Zahidian, the deputy head of Iran’s anti-narcotics headquarters, says that drug smuggling has increased from the country’s soil. Previously, Indian, Russian and Iranian officials have repeatedly expressed concerns about the increase in drug cultivation, production and trafficking in Afghanistan under the rule of Taliban. Click here to read more (external link).
BBC: Afghans are giving their hungry children medicines to sedate them – others have sold their daughters and organs to survive. In the second winter since the Taliban took over and foreign funds were frozen, millions are a step away from famine. “Our children keep crying, and they don’t sleep. We have no food,” Abdul
Tolo News: Local officials in the province of Uruzgan said that families in the province are using opium as medication to treat their children. Health officials in the province acknowledged that some families bring opium-addicted patients to healthcare centers. Children have reportedly died as a result of using opium as medicine, according to authorities. Click
The director of a 1,000-bed rehabilitation center for drug addicts in Kabul says they don’t have enough basic food, medicine, and clothes for patients. Many rehabilitation centers have closed or are struggling to remain open since international charities cut or reduced funding after the Taliban returned to power in August 2021.