Kabul Rehab Center Bombing Raises Fears for Patients’ Recovery

A recent airstrike in Kabul, Afghanistan, has left patients and staff of a drug rehabilitation center fearing for their future, with reports indicating over 400 people were killed and 265 wounded according to the Taliban government. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan reports 143 deaths and 119 injuries.

A Center for Recovery Destroyed

Nazar Mohammad, a former heroin user who completed treatment at the center two years ago and subsequently worked there as a live-in carer, described the devastation. He recounted witnessing a plane dropping a bomb on the clinic and returning to a scene of “screaming” and “wounded and dead bodies everywhere.” Mohammad and others were able to pull four people alive from the rubble, but many others perished as reported by Reuters.

Mohammad expressed concern about a potential relapse, stating, “I stayed in this camp…because if I left, I was afraid I might become addicted again.” He fears the loss of the center will jeopardize his continued sobriety and the recovery of others.

Conflicting Accounts and Denials

The Taliban government has accused Pakistan of carrying out the airstrike, alleging it targeted the rehabilitation center. However, Pakistan denies the accusation, claiming its military operations “precisely targeted military installations and terrorist support infrastructure” as reported by Reuters. Independent groups and witnesses have confirmed the rehabilitation center was struck, fueling a dispute between Kabul and Islamabad regarding whether the strike was intentional or a case of mistaken identity.

Afghanistan’s Addiction Crisis

The destruction of the rehabilitation facility highlights the challenges facing Afghanistan in addressing its widespread addiction problem. Approximately 15% of the country’s estimated 40 million people suffer from addiction according to Ahmed Kassas, country director for the International Medical Corps. Experts attribute this to factors such as poverty, unemployment, physical pain, and family challenges.

In 2022, the Taliban government banned opium poppy cultivation, leading to a significant decrease in land used for opium production – from 232,000 hectares to 10,200 hectares in 2025 according to a U.N. Estimate. However, this ban has reportedly spurred a shift towards synthetic drugs and the misuse of pharmaceutical drugs.

Impact Beyond Patients

Vanda Felbab-Brown, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, emphasized the broader implications of the facility’s destruction. “You have very few treatment facilities in Afghanistan, so the loss of one as a result of fighting is a very hefty blow to the amount of services available,” she stated as reported by Reuters.

Ahmad Bilal Taimoori’s Story

Ahmad Bilal Taimoori, a dentist and father of two, had been receiving treatment for ketamine addiction at the center for 20 days before the attack. He described feeling progress in his recovery, but now fears that has been shattered according to Reuters.