Taliban government intensifies anti-drug efforts in Afghanistan

Rehabilitation facility for women and children opens in Helmand as authorities dismantle drug factories in Paktia province

KABUL, Afghanistan (MNTV)  – Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government has intensified efforts to curb the country’s drug problem, launching initiatives focused on both treatment and enforcement.

In southern Helmand province, authorities inaugurated a 20-bed hospital specifically for treating women and children addicted to drugs. Approved by the Ministry of Public Health, the facility will be fully staffed by women and equipped with essential medicines and supplies, according to Maulvi Fazli Ahmad Shafiullah, the provincial public health director.

According to Pajhwok Afghan News, the center will provide a 45-day treatment program for addicts, with a focus on psychological counseling and support. Dr. Wali Mohammad Khadim, a psychiatrist at the facility, said the hospital fills a critical gap in addiction treatment for vulnerable populations. Health officials emphasized that female staff are better suited to address the specific needs of women and children facing addiction.

Meanwhile, in southeastern Paktia province, counter-narcotics personnel uncovered three drug-processing factories and seized 730 kilograms of hashish during raids in the Ahmad Khel district, according to police spokesman Munib Zadran. Authorities also confiscated equipment used for processing cannabis and hashish.

The operations signal a dual-track approach by Taliban authorities, combining health-based rehabilitation with law enforcement to tackle Afghanistan’s widespread drug abuse and production problem.

Afghanistan has long been one of the world’s largest producers of illicit drugs, but the Taliban—who returned to power in 2021—have vowed to eradicate narcotics from the country. Despite challenges, recent actions suggest a growing institutional push to address both the social and economic dimensions of the crisis.