The first drug rehabilitation center in the Kurdistan Region will be built on an area of 13,000 square meters,Karzan Noori, Administrative Board Member and Program Planning Manager at the Barzani Charity Foundation (BCF), told Kurdistan Chronicle.
Drug trafficking has become a regional threat in recent years, harming families and society.
— Masrour Barzani (@masrourbarzani) November 26, 2024
We must disrupt networks, hold perpetrators accountable, and support victims in their recovery.
This new rehabilitation center in Erbil will provide care to 80 patients. pic.twitter.com/tfTMha2X1H
On Tuesday, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani laid the foundation stone for the Awareness and Rehabilitation Center for Narcotics Addiction in Erbil. This initiative is being established by the Barzani Charity Foundation in collaboration with U.S.-based nonprofit LDS Charities.
“Countering narcotics is a critical issue for the KRG. Our government is making comprehensive efforts to address this pressing societal threat, which poses serious health, social, economic, and security risks across all sectors of life,” Prime Minister Barzani stated at the ceremony. “It is a primary factor in undermining our youth, families, and societal resources. Therefore, we are committed to preventing the further spread of this grave menace.
“To this end, the KRG has formed a high-level committee to combat narcotics, bringing together several ministries and relevant institutions,” Prime Minister Barzani said.
Noori told Kurdistan Chronicle that the center will be built on 120 Meters Road in Erbil and that the land of the building was provided by the KRG.
“Construction will be completed within 18 months. During these 18 months, the staff of the center will be appointed and trained by international experts. At the same time, the process of raising public awareness about the dangers of drug addiction will begin, as a part of the center’s mission, in coordination with local and international experts at LDS Charities.”
He added that the treatment system will be based on international medical principles and scientific treatments, which includes awareness, cleansing, follow-up and return of the addict to normal life in society.
“On the recommendation of Prime Minister Barzani, who is also the Chairman of the Founding Board of the Barzani Charity Foundation, the first steps of constructing this important center have begun and a memorandum of understanding has been signed between LDS Charities and the Barzani Charity Foundation.”
