Afghanistan's government is running an aggressive campaign to remove drug users from the streets.
Mohamed Omar says he travelled the world as a flight attendant but lost his job when the Taliban returned to power"I was under the bridge trying to get some drugs when I felt a hand grab me from behind. It was the Taliban. They had come to take us away."
In recent months, the Taliban have been rounding up hundreds of men across the capital - from the bridge, from parks and from the hilltops. Most have been taken to a former US military base, which has been turned into a makeshift rehabilitation centre. The stench beneath the bridge is overwhelming, with dogs rummaging through piles of litter, looking for scraps of food. Overhead, traffic flows, street vendors hawk goods, and commuters rush to catch buses at the local depot.
"They used pipes to whip and beat us," says Omar. "I broke my finger because I didn't want to leave the bridge and I resisted. They still forced us out."Footage later released by the Taliban government showed their soldiers clearing the area of addicts who had died from an overdose - their lifeless bodies being carried away wrapped in dark grey shawls. Others, still living, had to be taken out on stretchers because they were unconscious.
When the Taliban were in power in the 1990s, they all but stamped out poppy cultivation. But the drugs trade became a major source of income for them throughout their 20-year insurgency. For the doctors at the centre, this is a rudimentary operation. The Taliban continue to deliver more people and the staff are struggling to find space for them.
Belgique Dernières Nouvelles, Belgique Actualités
Similar News:Vous pouvez également lire des articles d'actualité similaires à celui-ci que nous avons collectés auprès d'autres sources d'information.
'Danger tourist' among three Brits held prisoner by Taliban in AfghanistanThree Brits, including a well-known ‘danger tourist’, are being held by the Taliban in Afghanistan. 23-year-old Miles Routledge faced backlash in 2021 after bragging he went on holiday to the country ‘because it was dangerous’.
Lire la suite »
'Danger tourist' Miles Routledge 'among three Brits detained by Taliban regime in Afghanistan''Danger tourist' Miles Routledge is reportedly among three British men being detained by the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.
Lire la suite »
Three British men held in Taliban custody in AfghanistanAmong the group is controversial holidaymaker Miles Routledge who travels to dangerous countries and posts about it online
Lire la suite »
UK government 'in negotiations' over three Britons held by Taliban in AfghanistanThe UK government is 'in negotiations' over three Britons held by the Taliban in Afghanistan, the home secretary has said.
Lire la suite »
Three British men are being held by Taliban in Afghanistan'Danger tourist' Miles Routledge and charity worker Kevin Cornwall named as two of three Brits held by Taliban in Afghanistan
Lire la suite »
Three British men being held by Taliban in AfghanistanTwo of the British men were arrested on 11 January, a humanitarian organisation has confirmed.
Lire la suite »