Life under the Taliban for homeless addicts in Afghanistan

Homeless drug-addicted Afghans congregate under bridges and are often rounded up, beaten and forcibly taken to treatment centers by the Taliban to avoid visible casualties in harsh winter conditions. The station in Kabul has around 350 employees and can care for around 1,000 patients.

Still, it is occupied by around 3,500 drug addicts who were brought there by the Taliban. A handful of rehabilitation centers are also run by private charities in other cities.

Afghanistan is one of the world’s leading producers of heroin and methamphetamine. Most of the drugs produced are exported to the world’s black markets. However, a significant part of the drugs is dumped in the country.

The recent withdrawal of NATO forces and the return of the Taliban in August last year led to the end of foreign financial support, the freezing of the country’s foreign assets and the eventual collapse of the economy. For most Afghan addicts, drugs are a way to hide from unsolvable problems.

EPA