2022 Feature Story

Now the uncontested rulers of Afghanistan, the Taliban have set their sights on stamping out the scourge of narcotics addiction, even if by force. At nightfall, the battle-hardened fighters turned policemen scour the capital’s drug-ravaged underworld. Below Kabul’s bustling city bridges, amid piles of garbage and streams of filthy water, hundreds of homeless men addicted to heroin and methamphetamines are rounded up, beaten and forcibly taken to treatment centers. The heavy-handed methods are welcomed by some health workers, who have had no choice but adapt to Taliban rule. “We are not in a democracy anymore, this is a dictatorship. And the use of force is the only way to treat these people,” said Dr. Fazalrabi Mayar, working in a treatment facility. He was referring specifically to Afghans addicted to heroin and meth.


Drug users detained during a Taliban raid walk in line on their way to the detoxification ward of the Avicenna Medical Hospital for Drug Treatment in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021. Now the uncontested rulers of Afghanistan, the Taliban have set their sights on stamping out the scourge of narcotics addiction, even if by force.

Drug users consume heroin in Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, Oct. 1, 2021. Now the uncontested rulers of Afghanistan, the Taliban have set their sights on stamping out the scourge of narcotics addiction, even if by force.

Afghans gather under a bridge to consume drugs, mostly heroin and methamphetamines in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021. Now the uncontested rulers of Afghanistan, the Taliban have set their sights on stamping out the scourge of narcotics addiction, even if by force.

Drug users detained during a Taliban raid wait to be checked at a police station before being transferred to the Avicenna Medical Hospital for Drug Treatment in Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, Oct. 1, 2021. At least 150 men were taken to the district police station, where all their belongings -- drugs, wallets, knifes, rings, lighters, a juice box -- were burned in a pile since they are forbidden to take them to the treatment center. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

**EDS NOTE GRAPHIC CONTENT** The body of a dead man lays on the ground in an area inhabited by drug users under a bridge in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021. According to drug users at the scene, he was beaten during a Taliban raid and was found dead next morning.

Dr. Wahedullah Koshan, left, gestures as he talks to Sitara, center, after she reunited with her 21-year-old son who was taken to the Avicenna Medical Hospital for Drug Treatment during a Taliban raid in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Oct. 4, 2021. Sitara wails when she reunited with her son, missing for 12 days. “My entire life is my son,” she weeps.

Drug users detained during a Taliban raid walk to a shower after arriving at Avicenna Medical Hospital for Drug Treatment in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021. In the hospital, patients, totalling 700, float around the halls like ghosts. Some say they aren’t being fed enough. Doctors said hunger is part of the withdrawal process.

Drug users detained during a Taliban raid go through a medical check as they arrive to the detoxification ward of the Avicenna Medical Hospital for Drug Treatment in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021.

A drug users detained during a Taliban raid is shaved after arriving at Avicenna Medical Hospital for Drug Treatment in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021. The heavy-handed methods are welcomed by some health workers, who have had no choice but adapt to Taliban rule. “We are not in a democracy anymore, this is a dictatorship. And the use of force is the only way to treat these people,” said Dr. Fazalrabi Mayar, working in a treatment facility. He was referring specifically to Afghans addicted to heroin and meth.

Drug users detained during a Taliban raid rest at the detoxification ward of the Avicenna Medical Hospital for Drug Treatment in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Oct. 4, 2021. Now the uncontested rulers of Afghanistan, the Taliban have set their sights on stamping out the scourge of narcotics addiction, even if by force.

A drug user undergoing treatment gestures from inside the detoxification ward of the Avicenna Medical Hospital for Drug Treatment in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021. In the hospital, patients, totalling 700, float around the halls like ghosts. Some say they aren’t being fed enough. Doctors said hunger is part of the withdrawal process.

Drug users detained during a Taliban raid wait to be shaved after arriving at Avicenna Medical Hospital for Drug Treatment in Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, Oct. 1, 2021. In the hospital, patients, totalling 700, float around the halls like ghosts. Some say they aren’t being fed enough. Doctors said hunger is part of the withdrawal process.

A young man wears a turban while crushing rocks, a procedure that produces massive quantities of hazardous dust. This dust will be sifted through for gold particles.
———
Where People Die But Are Not Born
Gold rush in the Sahara! Several years ago, gold was discovered deep within the Sahara desert in the West African nation of Niger. Tens of thousand of people have made the trek across vast distances of sand and stone, eager to find fortune. The miners are joined by water sellers, mechanics, merchants, and more - all exclusively men.
The name of this place is Tagharaba.
The total absence of women, as well as the dangerous nature of working in the mines, have earned Tagharaba the moniker "where people die but are not born".

An aerial photo of a mining operation deep within the Sahara desert. Gold filaments occur in lines, and so mineshafts are accordingly dug in long rows. The structures near the rows of hand-dug mineshafts are shelters for the workers, makeshift stores, mosques, etc.
———
Where People Die But Are Not Born
Gold rush in the Sahara! Several years ago, gold was discovered deep within the Sahara desert in the West African nation of Niger. Tens of thousand of people have made the trek across vast distances of sand and stone, eager to find fortune. The miners are joined by water sellers, mechanics, merchants, and more - all exclusively men.
The name of this place is Tagharaba.
The total absence of women, as well as the dangerous nature of working in the mines, have earned Tagharaba the moniker "where people die but are not born".

Tuareg miners look down a hand-dug mineshaft, where they are searching for gold.
———
Where People Die But Are Not Born
Gold rush in the Sahara! Several years ago, gold was discovered deep within the Sahara desert in the West African nation of Niger. Tens of thousand of people have made the trek across vast distances of sand and stone, eager to find fortune. The miners are joined by water sellers, mechanics, merchants, and more - all exclusively men.
The name of this place is Tagharaba.
The total absence of women, as well as the dangerous nature of working in the mines, have earned Tagharaba the moniker "where people die but are not born".

A tuareg miner ascends up a 80-meter deep mineshaft at the end of his work shift.
———
Where People Die But Are Not Born
Gold rush in the Sahara! Several years ago, gold was discovered deep within the Sahara desert in the West African nation of Niger. Tens of thousand of people have made the trek across vast distances of sand and stone, eager to find fortune. The miners are joined by water sellers, mechanics, merchants, and more - all exclusively men.
The name of this place is Tagharaba.
The total absence of women, as well as the dangerous nature of working in the mines, have earned Tagharaba the moniker "where people die but are not born".

A man welds equipment for a mine worker in a makeshift commercial center located near mineshafts.
——
Where People Die But Are Not Born
Gold rush in the Sahara! Several years ago, gold was discovered deep within the Sahara desert in the West African nation of Niger. Tens of thousand of people have made the trek across vast distances of sand and stone, eager to find fortune. The miners are joined by water sellers, mechanics, merchants, and more - all exclusively men.
The name of this place is Tagharaba.
The total absence of women, as well as the dangerous nature of working in the mines, have earned Tagharaba the moniker "where people die but are not born".

Because the gold in Tagharaba is located in a remote area with nothing but sand and stone, everything must be transported to the area overland. This includes fuel, water, food, construction materials, power generators, and workers. The risk posed by banditry during this trek is high, so people will convoy together in groups of several vehicles.
—— —
Where People Die But Are Not Born
Gold rush in the Sahara! Several years ago, gold was discovered deep within the Sahara desert in the West African nation of Niger. Tens of thousand of people have made the trek across vast distances of sand and stone, eager to find fortune. The miners are joined by water sellers, mechanics, merchants, and more - all exclusively men.
The name of this place is Tagharaba.
The total absence of women, as well as the dangerous nature of working in the mines, have earned Tagharaba the moniker "where people die but are not born".

Toureg men clear sand at gold mining site in the Sahara desert

A man covered in dust. The dust is from grinding stones dug out of the mines, which will be collected and sifted through in the hopes of finding gold particles.
———
Where People Die But Are Not Born
Gold rush in the Sahara! Several years ago, gold was discovered deep within the Sahara desert in the West African nation of Niger. Tens of thousand of people have made the trek across vast distances of sand and stone, eager to find fortune. The miners are joined by water sellers, mechanics, merchants, and more - all exclusively men.
The name of this place is Tagharaba.
The total absence of women, as well as the dangerous nature of working in the mines, have earned Tagharaba the moniker "where people die but are not born".

A miner starts his day by having his hair cut by another miner, who earns additional income as a barber.
———
Where People Die But Are Not Born
Gold rush in the Sahara! Several years ago, gold was discovered deep within the Sahara desert in the West African nation of Niger. Tens of thousand of people have made the trek across vast distances of sand and stone, eager to find fortune. The miners are joined by water sellers, mechanics, merchants, and more - all exclusively men.
The name of this place is Tagharaba.
The total absence of women, as well as the dangerous nature of working in the mines, have earned Tagharaba the moniker "where people die but are not born".

When gold particles are found, they must be smelted into ingots. This process involves boiling the gold in strong acid (bottom left) and use of ordinary salt (bottom right). The fumes created by the molten metal and boiling acid are very hazardous.
———
Where People Die But Are Not Born
Gold rush in the Sahara! Several years ago, gold was discovered deep within the Sahara desert in the West African nation of Niger. Tens of thousand of people have made the trek across vast distances of sand and stone, eager to find fortune. The miners are joined by water sellers, mechanics, merchants, and more - all exclusively men.
The name of this place is Tagharaba.
The total absence of women, as well as the dangerous nature of working in the mines, have earned Tagharaba the moniker "where people die but are not born".

Evening prayer at a mining site. Islam is the dominant religion of the mine workers, along with other local traditional beliefs.
———
Where People Die But Are Not Born
Gold rush in the Sahara! Several years ago, gold was discovered deep within the Sahara desert in the West African nation of Niger. Tens of thousand of people have made the trek across vast distances of sand and stone, eager to find fortune. The miners are joined by water sellers, mechanics, merchants, and more - all exclusively men.
The name of this place is Tagharaba.
The total absence of women, as well as the dangerous nature of working in the mines, have earned Tagharaba the moniker "where people die but are not born".

A merchant shows a handful of gold- worth an estimated 12,000 USD, which was mined in Tagharaba. It will soon make its way to Dubai to me used for jewelry.

Bre-Anna Valenzuela,10, looks out from the front door of her grandmother’s home as her family fights with one another just days after Bre-Anna’s family was evicted from their home on Thursday, April 1, 2021 in Fresno, California.

The Valenzuela’s were already living pay check to pay check when eviction notices started appearing on their door, addressed to somebody else. They were sure there was a mistake. All over the state people like the Valenzuela’s are in danger of losing their homes. In Fresno County, more than 650 families have been forced out of their homes since the coronavirus took hold, despite a federal eviction moratorium. Finally one morning the sheriff’s arrived and kicked the Valenzuela's out.
Bre-Anna, who goes by Bre watched as her family had nowhere to go. At only 10-years old she understood her family’s fragility — how they had been teetering on the edge of crisis for years and how the eviction could upend them. Her mother Danetta was sick, terminally ill with kidney disease and congestive heart failure. Her grandmother, Sharon, who lived a few miles away often stayed with them, watching Bre while Danetta was on dialysis. Bre’s father Brian was unable to work after a bad car accident. He fixed up bikes for cash and they lived off of his unemployment.
The stress of the eviction shattered the family. After a week at a Motel 6 they had run out of money. Brian and Bre were staying with her grandmother Sharon and Danetta was staying with extended family. With options dwindling Danetta decided they would move to Alabama where her mother lived. When Danetta told Brian she wanted to move he refused. He didn’t want to leave Fresno and worried that Danetta would die on the road. She had already missed several dialysis appointments. Bre watched as her parents began to argue and then separate. She was left with the difficult decision of which parent to go with. The fighting escalated when Danetta’s mother showed up to bring Bre back to Alabama. Bre told her mother she wasn’t leaving. Danetta went alone, figuring they'd follow shortly after. But two days into the road trip to Alabama Danetta died of a heart attack. Bre and Brian's future is uncertain.

“Grandma, look at my house! I’m gonna make it look pretty”, Bre-Anna Valenzuela,10, exclaimed after building a “house” out of U-Haul boxes in front of her grandmothers house days after being evicted from her home on Thursday, April 8, 2021 in Fresno, California. Despite a moratorium on evictions due to the coronavirus many evictions are still occurring throughout the state. The Valenzuela’s received eviction notices but not under their name and they say they thought it was a mistake. The owner of the house, Louise Traxler, sold it to a real estate company who plans to flip the house.

Bre-Anna Valenzuela, 10, climbs into a window as her grandmother Sharon Valenzuela (left) guides her and mother Danetta Valenzuela sits on the porch the morning after being evicted from their home on Wednesday, March 24, 2021 in Fresno, California. Bre-Anna snuck back into the house through an open window to grab cereal for breakfast. Her mother Danetta sat outside all morning because she needed her oxygen to be connected to a power source. Danetta suffers from dialysis and other heart complications.

Brian Valenzuela takes a cigarette break on the U-Haul truck after retrieving belongings from the house he was evicted from with his family on Wednesday, April 7, 2021 in Fresno, California. The Valenzuela’s received eviction notices but not under their name and they say they thought it was a mistake. In reality, the owner of the house sold it to a real estate company who plans to flip the house.

The home that the Valenzuela’s were evicted from is seen a week after they removed their belongings on Monday, April 12, 2021 in Fresno, California. Since being evicted from their home, the Valenzuela family has been fractured.

(L-r) Bre-Anna Valenzuela, 10, sits on the front of her mother Danetta Valenzuela’s wheelchair while her grandmother Sharon Valenzuela trails behind as they leave the Motel 6 to grab breakfast on Thursday, March 25, 2021 in Fresno, California. The Valenzuela’s were evicted from their home a few days prior and barely had enough money to stay at the motel. They had to return a DVD player to stay that evening.

Bre-Anna Valenzuela, 10, plays with her dolls at a Motel 6 the day after being evicted from her home on Wednesday, March 24, 2021 in Fresno, California. Despite a moratorium on evictions due to the coronavirus many evictions are still occurring throughout the state. The Valenzuela’s received eviction notices but not under their name and they say they thought it was a mistake. In reality, the owner of the house sold it to a real estate company who plans to flip the house.

Danetta Valenzuela is helped by emergency medical professionals as she makes her way from her room at the Motel 6 to the hospital because she was having trouble breathing on Wednesday, April 7, 2021 in Fresno, California. Danetta suffers from kidney disease and congestive heart failure and has missed many dialysis appointments since being evicted from her home.

Sharon Valenzuela wraps her arms around granddaughter Bre-Anna Valenzuela, 10, as they spend time outside the home they had been evicted from a day earlier on Wednesday, March 24, 2021 in Fresno, California. Bre-Anna loved watching the sunset from the front yard of her home. She said her favorite memory was having a picnic with her mom Danetta on the lawn and watching the sunset.

Brian Valenzuela begins to yell at his in-laws as they ask where his daughter Bre-Anna (not pictured) is in hopes to have her come with them to Alabama after the Valenzuela’s were evicted from their home on Sunday, April 11, 2021 in Fresno, California. Since being evicted from their home, the immediate family has been fractured. Danetta wants to move to Alabama to be with the rest of her family and Brian wants to stay in Fresno. Bre-Anna was left with the difficult decision of whether to choose to go with her mother or stay with her father.

Mother Danetta Valenzuela (left) and grandmother Pat Hopkins (center) try to convince Bre-Anna Valenzuela to move with them to Alabama after the Valenzuela’s were evicted from their home on Sunday, April 11, 2021 in Fresno, California. Since being evicted from their home, the immediate family has been fractured. Bre-Anna’s mother Danetta wants her to move with her to Alabama but she doesn’t want to leave Fresno without her father.

Bre-Anna Valenzuela, 10, hugs her father Brian Valenzuela during a tense moment at her grandparents home where she has been staying on Sunday, April 11, 2021 in Fresno, California. Bre-Anna’s mother Danetta wanted her to move with her to Alabama but she didn’t want to leave Fresno without her father Brian. Danetta decided to leave regardless and ended up dying on the road of a heart attack. Bre-Anna and Brian are still grieving her loss. They plan to scatter her ashes next year.