With shaved heads, oversized tunics and the terrified gaze of the hunted, the drug addicts rounded up by the Taliban brace for 45 days of painful withdrawal.

For some, the hardliners&nbsp;raids may potentially help them cast off the yoke of addiction.

But for many the stay at Kabul's Ibn Sina centre will just mark a short change of scene, marked by a brutal approach to forcing users off their powerful dependence.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/malala-sends-letter-to-taliban-one-month-after-girls-school-ban-421804">Malala sends letter to Taliban one month after girls school ban</a>

Before the Taliban marched into Kabul on August 15, police in the capital would sometimes arrest addicts and transfer them to the centre.

But since the hardline Islamists took control, the frequency of raids on areas where addicts gather appears to have increased.

Hundreds of users shelter in squalid conditions at Pul-e-Sukhta, under a bridge in western Kabul synonymous with hard drugs and violent crime.

They recognise the rehab clinic's ambulance, and those who can lift themselves off the fetid ground stagger down the rubbish-strewn Paghman River to avoid capture, while many are too intoxicated to wake up.

Two Taliban fighters, armed with M16 and AK-47 rifles, prod the comatose heroin and methamphetamine users with their gun barrels as outreach workers wrestle with men before forcing them to the vehicle.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/taliban-are-not-terrorists-us-has-a-wrong-understanding-zabihullah-mujahid-to-wion-421788">Taliban are not terrorists, US has a wrong understanding: Zabihullah Mujahid to WION</a>

Raw sewage runs straight into the boggy river bed, and the stench of urine, faeces and vomit in the crowded drug den is overwhelming.

Cushions, blankets, sandbags and tarpaulins make up the ramshackle camp, which is littered with the addicts' paraphernalia: syringes, wraps, foil and pipes.

The gunmen fire a few shots into the air to assert their authority and shock the addicts, before about 20 are rounded up and whisked away.

<h2>Searches and checks&nbsp;</h2>

During their 45-day rehabilitation stay at the 1,000-bed centre, the men spend their time lying on cots in large dormitories or crouched in the yard, soaking up the autumn sun.&nbsp;

There is little methadone available to help wean the opium and heroin addicts, and nothing to remove the withdrawal pains for those being weaned off of meth, doctors say.

This morning, Emal, 36, shuffles into the registration room.

A volunteer, who like many others working here is a former addict, opens his logbook.

- Name? Emal.

- Your father's name? Abdul Matin.

- Married? Yes. I have three children, two girls and one boy.

- Working? Not currently.

- What drugs do you take? Crystal (meth).

- Have you been here before? Yes, three times. This is my fourth. I was discharged 10 days ago.

As Emal leaves, 22-year-old Bilal Ahmad, skinny and jittery, takes a seat. He is also addicted to meth, and has been through the programme before, "one or one and a half year years ago".

"I am happy to be here," he tells AFP, casting fearful, furtive glances around the room that indicate he is not. "In 45 days, God willing, we can go home."

The men are searched carefully when they arrive.&nbsp;

"Open your mouth. Wider. Lift your tongue," another member of staff at the clinic tells the new arrivals, before checking their shoes and clothes for traces of drugs.

In groups of six, they then shuffle to the tiled building that houses the showers.

There their baggy khaki tunics and trousers are removed and they are handed a packet of shampoo, but no towel.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/taliban-should-first-seek-internal-legitimacy-to-receive-international-recognition-ex-afghan-president-karzai-421686">Taliban should first seek internal legitimacy to receive international recognition: Ex-Afghan president Karzai</a>

When they emerge, dripping, they are handed over to a team of barbers who shave their heads to prevent the spread of lice, but leave their scraggy beards.

Some are taken to rooms lined with five beds, while others are ushered into a dormitory where around 30 men of all ages are already lying on top of their covers.

One childishly plays a bamboo flute. Another gestures to his mouth indicating that he is hungry.&nbsp;

<h2>'Terrible problem'&nbsp;</h2>

Poppy cultivation was banned under the Taliban's last rule in the 1990s, but the export of heroin from Taliban-controlled areas provided the hardliners with billions of dollars during their insurgency against the United States and the Western-backed government.

With poppies cheap and easy to grow, Afghanistan provides around 90 percent of the world's production of heroin.

Crystal methamphetamine production has also surged, created from the ephedra plant which grows wild in the country.

According to anti-narcotics experts, 11 percent of Afghanistan's 34 million population are drug users, with four to six percent addicted.

Since sweeping back into power, the Taliban have promised not to allow narcotics production.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/taliban-may-obtain-nuclear-weapons-from-pakistan-says-former-us-national-security-advisor-john-bolton-416597">Taliban may obtain nuclear weapons from Pakistan, says former US national security advisor John Bolton</a>

"It is the policy of the Islamic Emirate," said Doctor Ahmad Zoher Sultani, who heads the centre located in an old US army base.

For now, the staff in the centre are all working without pay. Salaries have not been paid out for four months as Afghanistan's economy teeters on the verge of collapse.

Sultani says he was worried that the Taliban would shut his clinic when they first seized power.

"Their intentions towards us were not clear," he told AFP, adding though that the country's new rulers had "quickly told us they wanted us to continue."

In signs he is adapting to the new regime, the doctor has since mid-August swapped out his Western suit and tie for the traditional shalwar kameez, and has removed all of the photographs that once filled the walls of his office.

"Drugs are a terrible problem," he said.

With shaved heads, oversized tunics and the terrified gaze of the hunted, the drug addicts rounded up by the Taliban brace for 45 days of painful withdrawal. For some, the hardliners raids may potentially help them cast off the yoke of addiction.

With shaved heads, oversized tunics and the terrified gaze of the hunted, the drug addicts rounded up by the Taliban brace for 45 days of painful withdrawal. For some, the hardliners raids may potentially help them cast off the yoke of addiction. But for many the stay at Kabul's Ibn Sina centre will just mark a short change of scene, marked by a brutal approach to forcing users off their powerful dependence. Also Read | Malala sends letter to Taliban one month after girls school ban Before the Taliban marched into Kabul on August 15, police in the capital would sometimes arrest addicts and transfer them to the centre. But since the hardline Islamists took control, the frequency of raids on areas where addicts gather appears to have increased. Hundreds of users shelter in squalid conditions at Pul-e-Sukhta, under a bridge in western Kabul synonymous with hard drugs and violent crime. They recognise the rehab clinic's ambulance, and those who can lift themselves off the fetid ground stagger down the rubbish-strewn Paghman River to avoid capture, while many are too intoxicated to wake up. Two Taliban fighters, armed with M16 and AK-47 rifles, prod the comatose heroin and methamphetamine users with their gun barrels as outreach workers wrestle with men before forcing them to the vehicle. Also Read | Taliban are not terrorists, US has a wrong understanding: Zabihullah Mujahid to WION Raw sewage runs straight into the boggy river bed, and the stench of urine, faeces and vomit in the crowded drug den is overwhelming. Cushions, blankets, sandbags and tarpaulins make up the ramshackle camp, which is littered with the addicts' paraphernalia: syringes, wraps, foil and pipes. The gunmen fire a few shots into the air to assert their authority and shock the addicts, before about 20 are rounded up and whisked away. Searches and checks During their 45-day rehabilitation stay at the 1,000-bed centre, the men spend their time lying on cots in large dormitories or crouched in the yard, soaking up the autumn sun. There is little methadone available to help wean the opium and heroin addicts, and nothing to remove the withdrawal pains for those being weaned off of meth, doctors say. This morning, Emal, 36, shuffles into the registration room. A volunteer, who like many others working here is a former addict, opens his logbook. - Name? Emal. - Your father's name? Abdul Matin. - Married? Yes. I have three children, two girls and one boy. - Working? Not currently. - What drugs do you take? Crystal (meth). - Have you been here before? Yes, three times. This is my fourth. I was discharged 10 days ago. As Emal leaves, 22-year-old Bilal Ahmad, skinny and jittery, takes a seat. He is also addicted to meth, and has been through the programme before, "one or one and a half year years ago". "I am happy to be here," he tells AFP, casting fearful, furtive glances around the room that indicate he is not. "In 45 days, God willing, we can go home." The men are searched carefully when they arrive. "Open your mouth. Wider. Lift your tongue," another member of staff at the clinic tells the new arrivals, before checking their shoes and clothes for traces of drugs. In groups of six, they then shuffle to the tiled building that houses the showers. There their baggy khaki tunics and trousers are removed and they are handed a packet of shampoo, but no towel. Also Read | Taliban should first seek internal legitimacy to receive international recognition: Ex-Afghan president Karzai When they emerge, dripping, they are handed over to a team of barbers who shave their heads to prevent the spread of lice, but leave their scraggy beards. Some are taken to rooms lined with five beds, while others are ushered into a dormitory where around 30 men of all ages are already lying on top of their covers. One childishly plays a bamboo flute. Another gestures to his mouth indicating that he is hungry. 'Terrible problem' Poppy cultivation was banned under the Taliban's last rule in the 1990s, but the export of heroin from Taliban-controlled areas provided the hardliners with billions of dollars during their insurgency against the United States and the Western-backed government. With poppies cheap and easy to grow, Afghanistan provides around 90 percent of the world's production of heroin. Crystal methamphetamine production has also surged, created from the ephedra plant which grows wild in the country. According to anti-narcotics experts, 11 percent of Afghanistan's 34 million population are drug users, with four to six percent addicted. Since sweeping back into power, the Taliban have promised not to allow narcotics production. Also Read | Taliban may obtain nuclear weapons from Pakistan, says former US national security advisor John Bolton "It is the policy of the Islamic Emirate," said Doctor Ahmad Zoher Sultani, who heads the centre located in an old US army base. For now, the staff in the centre are all working without pay. Salaries have not been paid out for four months as Afghanistan's economy teeters on the verge of collapse. Sultani says he was worried that the Taliban would shut his clinic when they first seized power. "Their intentions towards us were not clear," he told AFP, adding though that the country's new rulers had "quickly told us they wanted us to continue." In signs he is adapting to the new regime, the doctor has since mid-August swapped out his Western suit and tie for the traditional shalwar kameez, and has removed all of the photographs that once filled the walls of his office. "Drugs are a terrible problem," he said.

Under Taliban, Kabul's drug addicts forced into withdrawal

A young Afghan mother of seven sits on a red woollen rug alongside four other women who are slicing huge slabs of handmade, flowery soap into smaller bars.&nbsp;

She is one of about 20 female employees -- many of them recovering drug addicts -- working part-time on an organic farm in Kabul, where they grow flowers and plants to turn into sweet-smelling soaps and creams.

The venture can be a lifeline in a patriarchal country that grows roughly 90 per cent of the world's illicit opium. Millions of Afghans struggle with drug addiction, and women addicts face particular discrimination.

"I am happy that I am working here because it's all women. There are no men here," said the mother, who requested anonymity, as she sat on the mini production line, tying ribbons around newly bagged soaps made from a type of charcoal that supposedly has special health benefits.

The business is the creation of local entrepreneur Marghuba Safi, who started making soaps and creams in her kitchen in 2016. Friends and family reacted so well to the products that she launched a full-time business with the help of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

The agency paid for Safi to visit India, where women-owned ventures are commonplace, to seek inspiration from small businesses.

"A lot of women over there are working from their homes, and I visited women making their own businesses," said Safi, 40.&nbsp;

"When I came back I decided to make my business a little wider," she added.&nbsp;

Her large farm -- which grows corn, peppers, aloe, marigolds and other plants -- is hidden behind a non-descript metal gate on the outskirts of Kabul.

The only condition for UNODC's support was that Safi hired recovering women drug addicts.&nbsp;

"When I became sad, I went to my neighbour's home and then we ate something," explains the young mother on how she got hooked.

"I did not know what it was but it made me relaxed. After that they took me to the hospital then Marghuba (Safi) came and taught us how to make soaps and helped us."

According to data from 2015 -- the last year a comprehensive national survey was carried out -- Afghanistan had about three million drug addicts, a huge proportion of the country's estimated 35 million people.

About 20 per cent are women, and the rate of addiction has only gone up over the past four years, said Anubha Sood, a senior officer with UNODC's "Alternative Livelihoods and Counter Narcotics" programme.

"The rate (of addiction) is increasing much, much more among women and children in the past few years," Sood said.&nbsp;

A big moral boost

The go-to drug is opium -- whether in smoked or in tablet form -- and women are sometimes kicked out of the home as a punishment for seeking help.

"A lot of women who we work with, once they undergo treatment in the drug treatment centre there is a stigma attached and a lot of families do not accept them back," Sood said.

If a woman "is able to stand on her own feet and is able to support herself and her children, this is a big moral boost for herself and she can earn a living in a very dignified manner".

The mother on the production line, aged 30, said she was paid about $2 for a half day's work -- a small but meaningful sum in a country where more than half the population lives below the poverty line of $1.90 a day.

"When I am bringing money to the house, I feel proud that I am also taking part in the economy of my family," she said.

Sood said the UNODC was helping other Afghan women in the provinces through "alternative development" projects such as small-scale vegetable or poultry farms that are easy to manage in a country where women were systematically denied an education under the Taliban and where girls' access to schooling is still limited.&nbsp;

Such projects are "simpler and easier for women to handle. They don’t have to venture out that much, it can be run from the household itself and they can sell the product at the (local) market," Sood said.

A young Afghan mother of seven sits on a red woollen rug alongside four other women who are slicing huge slabs of handmade, flowery soap into smaller bars. She is one of about 20 female employees -- many of them recovering drug addicts -- working part-time on an organic farm in Kabul, where they grow flowers and plants to turn into sweet-smelling soaps and creams.

A young Afghan mother of seven sits on a red woollen rug alongside four other women who are slicing huge slabs of handmade, flowery soap into smaller bars. She is one of about 20 female employees -- many of them recovering drug addicts -- working part-time on an organic farm in Kabul, where they grow flowers and plants to turn into sweet-smelling soaps and creams. The venture can be a lifeline in a patriarchal country that grows roughly 90 per cent of the world's illicit opium. Millions of Afghans struggle with drug addiction, and women addicts face particular discrimination. "I am happy that I am working here because it's all women. There are no men here," said the mother, who requested anonymity, as she sat on the mini production line, tying ribbons around newly bagged soaps made from a type of charcoal that supposedly has special health benefits. The business is the creation of local entrepreneur Marghuba Safi, who started making soaps and creams in her kitchen in 2016. Friends and family reacted so well to the products that she launched a full-time business with the help of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The agency paid for Safi to visit India, where women-owned ventures are commonplace, to seek inspiration from small businesses. "A lot of women over there are working from their homes, and I visited women making their own businesses," said Safi, 40. "When I came back I decided to make my business a little wider," she added. Her large farm -- which grows corn, peppers, aloe, marigolds and other plants -- is hidden behind a non-descript metal gate on the outskirts of Kabul. The only condition for UNODC's support was that Safi hired recovering women drug addicts. "When I became sad, I went to my neighbour's home and then we ate something," explains the young mother on how she got hooked. "I did not know what it was but it made me relaxed. After that they took me to the hospital then Marghuba (Safi) came and taught us how to make soaps and helped us." According to data from 2015 -- the last year a comprehensive national survey was carried out -- Afghanistan had about three million drug addicts, a huge proportion of the country's estimated 35 million people. About 20 per cent are women, and the rate of addiction has only gone up over the past four years, said Anubha Sood, a senior officer with UNODC's "Alternative Livelihoods and Counter Narcotics" programme. "The rate (of addiction) is increasing much, much more among women and children in the past few years," Sood said. A big moral boost The go-to drug is opium -- whether in smoked or in tablet form -- and women are sometimes kicked out of the home as a punishment for seeking help. "A lot of women who we work with, once they undergo treatment in the drug treatment centre there is a stigma attached and a lot of families do not accept them back," Sood said. If a woman "is able to stand on her own feet and is able to support herself and her children, this is a big moral boost for herself and she can earn a living in a very dignified manner". The mother on the production line, aged 30, said she was paid about $2 for a half day's work -- a small but meaningful sum in a country where more than half the population lives below the poverty line of $1.90 a day. "When I am bringing money to the house, I feel proud that I am also taking part in the economy of my family," she said. Sood said the UNODC was helping other Afghan women in the provinces through "alternative development" projects such as small-scale vegetable or poultry farms that are easy to manage in a country where women were systematically denied an education under the Taliban and where girls' access to schooling is still limited. Such projects are "simpler and easier for women to handle. They don’t have to venture out that much, it can be run from the household itself and they can sell the product at the (local) market," Sood said.

Afghanistan: Kabul soap factory helps former addicts stay clean

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