to bring use a story behind the news. we wrote about unbiased information for 3 months. the, this is need to be in use africa coming up on the program. how kind of west africa 5 back against the drug that's destroying it to young people. there's only like effect of course the drug causing so much have or can sir, in the own that the president has declared that a public enemy will look at how best has become such a huge threat library as also fighting cush, dw gains access to a drug house in monrovia with some of cushions, victims go to get that high. a drought sweeping across southern africa has wiped out most of them. bob ways planted crumbs. the government says that desperately needs assistance to keep the people from going hungry.

the i'm told me on the logical hello in a warm welcome to the program. a highly addictive drugs is destroying west africa's use. it's called cush, sincere, and the own president, julia's mother b. o. has declared a national emergency on drug abuse. responding to a drastic increase in the use of kush pushes, a synthetic drug with devastating effects is called hundreds of death, as well as major psychiatric damage to some uses. and it's a main victims, a young syria, the audience, as a few puffs and cush catapults to use into a trance like state police once high, they sway their bodies back and forth,

appearing some of the like in drowsy. it's about $25.00. few as sensitize kush is a relatively cheap and easy way to escape reality. but the kick only last for an hour, then they need to buy more dependencies, destroying the lives of many young sierra leone units. i mean, they say i have to purge my body of this substance company. since i started smoking 5 years ago, my body is now addicted to the thing. i have to buy medication, but i don't have the ability to a myself, so afraid that's phone. so it's difficult to deep ramco roma is a social work. she often visits crushed, use a hide outs like this one and free town stow, there are no statistics on crush addiction. he believes it's the most urgent issue that government needs to deal with. young people die. young people on die. we need a city,

any phone calls throughout the g. so c o young people to control miss rhodes and see what's on this is i will tell you more minutes. it is right along. see i'm really and only psychiatric hospital is overwhelmed with cush addicts. more than half of those admitted i use us. but stuff say these are the worst cases. and only the tip of the ice book, you go down to the box, you put it onto the street suit onto to get to, to find much more, you know, people using the soap sizes on the inbox has been created on them. now what we see here with crushed addiction rapids the on the rise, c, around the, on the president has declared a national substance abuse emergency and set up a special task force. we're making calls the fact that they have to come by the spanish. but unfortunately, we're not experiencing,

it's called the push consumption and escalated fatalities. it's clear the cushion is highly addictive and destructive. what's less clear is with comes from school, where it's going report say it is already destroying lice to neighboring countries like guinea and liberia. kush is not just a problem for syria, leo and but also some neighboring countries. back in january libraries and new president joseph book, i used his 1st stage of the nation address to declare the use of kush a public health emergency and an existential threat for the country. now my colleague, edith kamani travel to monrovia not so long ago to find out more about the child into their and she joins us now from nairobi. hi, it is you tell us about what you witnessed in library as well as soon as we got to monrovia, one of the 1st things people kept telling us is you have to talk about this problem, of course. but the challenge is that, because see the challenge,

we can see the problem here and very well, we would see people nodding off as it's cold when you completely zoned out. but it didn't really reflect what people was saying, it's only, and so we went to what's called a trap house in a bundle building where people take drugs, the be really good to see what the child enjoys. and so this is the report that we filed a part of the 77 percent, which is the w's advocate. fletcher program, as the to say is that there is a drug here which has ravaged some of its use cushion feeds. i think that's a drug was to originate and co position is still not fully understood, but it's become a popular drug for distribution to youth who have nothing to look forward to that. so we're going to speak to some of them to understand why that interest rate and what it means because the site itself, the i'm told these ruins house at least 300 people. almost everyone here smokes goose

for about 4 years now. it's been severely affecting liberia's utilities. it's hard to predict some less of what size, quickness thing, because it's not anything that i said, but seriously, for every room with a 2003, and i'm fissions and this prison on the phone pre entity crush like crack, delivers a brief yet powerful high wind smoke, the sensation quickly fades, leaving the use a in a kind of home. i need william cooper, who is smoking a single penny to push for $0.50? yes, we need to get some time, you know, in mid june forego, but it finds immediacy. able to forget what the warren area and what are things that been bothering you. so when did this you love yourself? was the time when you're waiting to get into the body to complete it, where you see how give out in st. louis one morning to get saw,

a damn file. so to consume the individuals addicted to drugs and this area referred to as so goes a term akin to zombies. the ruins also shelter many women to support the drug habits. some of them engage in commercial sex work. i've seen a few women. yeah. for pregnancy. what happens when they get breath said it's and some people get ready to die and it was scanned. is it dangerous? here for us? no, no, no. all you take the mooney, did you have the free run or when it was gonna give you the money? because that happened to you. yeah, the. yeah. all right, thank you. the conditions here characterized by re drug abuse, violence and drums such disease are shocking and heartbreaking. people here result

to various means to earn money. some so food, while others work at the beach plumbing concrete. drug addiction has incapacitated menu. the recently cubic use has claimed the lives of 2 residents. i mean it's this too low cost of raising funds to support the affected the. how did it become such a penetrative drug? it might be. why do you think the government has been slow to respond? i think the reason is because of some of the very gone officials, goldman, i thought of this, it didn't go drugs, you know about it, and then the drugs eating. yeah, some of the bottom is also evolved into the drug unit. so they would not want to put the free to love you at the u. s. if they use a bare with the goal, not really nothing. the media let's the politicians are

benefiting from drug trafficking. a claim we hear from human resources and planned to investigate the re, the reason that i was so while i'm family was involved. well, if i don't have morning now, i can now go to me. when i go home, i'll be like, oh, loving things. well, when i agreed, okay, so our really leg for that it helped to top tv. i mean it did that in the in fall. right. so that can be a help to this addition to guys. thank you so much for the opportunity this this house and the people the need to leave me both stunned and hydro can. it's a stuck reminder of how society can neglected soon. these individuals cannot overcome their challenges without support. but

a chilling and sad watch them. it is, did you get a sense of why these people, these young people are getting into, into these drugs? well, obviously there's an individual story for every individual use that. but the general consensus is that a lot of these young men and women will born into war a time when liberia was really eating itself, come out of that into and it will up and a week and after that's cool, be 19. and so it's been disaster of the disaster for each and every step of their lives. and so it's no surprise, but a lot of them, most of them off and turning to drugs and with no support from government, is still surprised that some of them have been in that house closing bubbly for years. you've done a lot of reporting, you know, and, and various countries. but what, the, what impression that this one leave on you. so i can tell you that these are images that i wouldn't be forgetting for a long time. when we were done filming,

i turned around and there was a young man eventually done to that. he was just 20 years old. and he looked me with such desperation and with a soft voice just said, please help us before it's too late. and i thought he's so desperate and he's just 20 years old. and i just do see a way out for him at such a young age. and i could really relate to him because, you know, i'm not much older than humans. he imagine a world where you're trapped before you've been have a chance to fulfill your potential. the slippery feeling very, very, very dejected. it is kimani and dw studio narrow b. we appreciate your reporting. thank you. last week now to principal luce, any executive director of the west african drug policy network, joining us from across welcome to the news africa. now, is it clear to you what this drug kush is made of? you know, thank you for goods and then. yeah, it's absolutely clear. i mean,

the room was about the composition of the drugs out. so the drew up myself. it's what looks like can i have these book, elizabeth, more different. but it was that room was about the contents of the substance they has. um, tramadol, it has for my lien in see under the case or see a little we here it has to my boss. but then i think there will be need there's a need for. ready an advice i'm obviously is of the substance as it may be from one country to another. so we haven't got to that stage of properly even studying it. um, but do we know more about where it comes from all who produces it? the, the source of this drove is, is, is too clear, right? so depending on who you talk to a way find to. so, i mean the, to,

the claim is that the frequency, those birth to get out by different uses. we are, you have to really find out the origin of the drug itself. so we're not sure as to whether it's come from abroad or whether it's produced locally or how it's traffic compared to other drugs. it is on clear, is that right? i'm just based on your studies and yours of ation of, of this do governments, for example, in and certainly own or library i have or even that was the way it was in west africa to africa where it's where you have this problem. do these governments seem to have a viable plan to address this specific issue any differently from how they've approached drugs in the past? um, respectfully, i will say no. i mean the housing approach dro,

any differently in the past. i mean us, we speak most of the in laws in the region or the soap regional and i or we'd be div, then force mains lead. and my organization on the west side of the capital forties . and that's what kind of the advocates have been asking. one, if it is, these drove low reform is an approach to a so based on human rights and for the kill, it is good. the government's in liberia and it's really not thinking about support because the approach but the, the law is the legislation remains punitive. and even now for which they are currently using, i guess is also is kids that's it's, it's also punitive. the blame is always on the victim, people who use drugs. so with the declare ration of a state of the majesty of drug abuse, i am hoping, as the diesels named in the formation of their types forces will go see to be

killed, approved to run in any criminal justice approach. i mean, that means we should have on hold for need see. so incarceration to punishments for drugs use. but as it stands right now, what i see in an idea of what i've seen in see earlier, it doesn't look like absolute votes or need seem to criminal justice. or even if it's a board, because i coach the class that i've seen, how this will be out, we addressed like the gum. yeah. the using the model that is a 4 because the approach that i that creates in testing making provisions for how reduction and also um, not as ease of, of the substance itself. so the con, how that provides a vision. what makes this in particular, such a difficult um drug and uh you know, surrounding phenomenon to tackle as i'm particularly

because the, the, the content of the, the. ready the, the, the, the major ingredients of these substances on. no, i think that's one major problem. and so it makes it difficult. so if you want to transfer, you want to address the problem. so you might be address in a dish of voice scans and the issues the health related issues that we also have to address. so for example, if, even if i, even if use old or defendants, i pretty much use i still sticking to drugs. they would have went ahead to different issues. i knew how to do new also i have with us to show the problem. i will have to do so on this speed at which it's destroyed lives in the hell it suits is, is beyond what's beyond measure. so it's any kind it fast piece, destructive substance that would really need and not have ministration that

has so stance. use on the going to going to attend, to be able to address it. ok, we'll have to leave a conversation that but uh principle if any, from the west africa drug policy network, thank you very much for speaking to us. you're most welcome. thank you for or the extreme weather has been hits in communities across africa just this week. temperatures reach 48.5 degrees celsius in molly of advocates. hottest recorded day in the month of april. the heat wave has killed more than a 100 people in mali, oval wyoming the mugs. over in the horn of africa there's been heavy rain. in one incident in northern kenya, a bus with more than 50 passengers, was swept away in flood waters. fortunately, all of those on board managed to escape to safety for the south zambia malawi ends and bob weigh heavily declared

a state of disaster. the range of failed drought has destroyed the harvest and agencies a 24000000 people in the region. please hunger, malnutrition, scientists attribute the severity of these events. the climate change the effect of human activity and natural weather patterns like el nino drought is a fact of life for many people in southern and eastern africa. but el nino events like the current one can make the problem much worse. here's why. as also it occurs in the pacific el nino effects the weather right across our planet. usually see winds push warm water from the west coast of south america across the ocean towards asia. but in el nino years, the waters off the coast of south america and california heat up more than usual. that causes many rain clouds to form over this part of the ocean. normally,

the strong winds along the equator would push the warm surface water to the west, feeding rainfall in asia and africa. but in fall and winter of el nino years, these winds are weaker than usual and often blowing the wrong direction towards the east. that pushes the clouds inland, where they dump their rain in north, central and south america. this has knock on effect and the rest of the world, including africa, causing droughts and floods because of the changing rain patterns of the drought sweeping across southern africa has wiped out 80 percent of the above ways crops present. amazon goggle, it says the country needs about $2000000000.00 to keep people from going hungry. dw, corresponding privilege with shiny reroute file. this report 9 to one year old page. now is that key. i'm a come by me from bob was global show and we're all community. he's inspecting what

lead to is left of these crops visa, hard times for the not doing that in is he contemplates the months ahead. in good years, he often harvested more than 2 tons of grain from this field, but this time he will barely get a 50 kilogram sick. or vision is from now on to the next task list. in february we really think that we are going to suffer. we are going to stuff a, you know, i see people die if we don't use, you know, from us i'm going to is u. s. a v a dry spill is the ranking, hubble across between baldwin and other southern african countries. the port range mean about 2700000 people will not have enough to eat on the table is the see. it may is, is this type of food in zimbabwe. but when clubs say you like this,

it is tough for many families. people are now trying to figure out how they will survive in the coming months when the situation is expected to get west is in by was president, is appealed for you money, terry, and assistance to feed. the hungry top on our pile priority is securing food 4 o z and by means nose and bubbling must succumb to or die from honda. but quote, feed is like these are likely to get with scientists predict increasingly frequent droughts in coming years in the u. n. food and agriculture organizations phase countries must invest in drought proofing the agriculture. in most countries, investment in drug on his account is locked in. so national,

international resources partners need to invest in the city. and so because it is the most important and has that before, so i don't know if it got it out. a full summer league is like chemical imbalance or tentative. what that associates like these essential live saving improvements. o, as in bob was for the snow rain fit agriculture lodge pods of west africa. so hell, region not plague by violence, you have is insurgencies, but one country stands out as an exception. mauritania has not seen a terror attack for more than a decade. oh, it's a stock contrast from its next door neighbor molly, which is a haven for as long as the militant groups. the border between them runs for 2000 kilometers. the more attain inside is controlled by a unique force known as the merest dw maria gas. nicholas school met them and sent

us this report, or the villagers always seem to celebrate. when the movers arrived, the men on camels provide practical things like medicines, but also the sense of not being forgotten by the outside. whereas in the people in this remote village or team to share their latest problem, the water pump is broken, which means humans and animals have to travel to find water. and the disability are used to be full of people, but many have left because of the lack of water informed that the pump to that was essential for drinking water has been broken for 4 months. they submitted the problem to us and we will follow up with the leadership of the heart of the commander will take the best decision by to get mad at the bottom the, the hers don't own the act as a link to far away authorities. their task was protecting people and these remote

areas from criminals and insurgents. the patrol desert areas near the border with the molly violence conflict, including the hottest insurgency, is raging on the other side. the harris want to stop it spreading. how the i've been getting these people that thing in the desert and it could be targeted by the tire originally, said that it could be targeted by the criminals who said we try to educate them and we stay in touch with them because we fear that some group might change the people's minds and lead them to join these groups, which would create a problem for the entire world. and i will tell you, thank god, we are always in touch with them. and then we tell them to let us know if they see anything or hear anything about these groups whom godaddy silver. see what my says . so should i, i thought i knew nothing. and then the hardest are recruited from the nomad communities in the region. they know the desert better than anyone, and sometimes spend several weeks on mission to reach the remote disability. one

would add to that we are not tired of this. we love this way of life. we are happier than desert than in the city, and in order we want to keep our heritage how we want to keep this originality inherited from our ancestors. and though i know waiting, and then carol know a guy who actually leads the brigade, he says the man hers to have helped murray atanya to minimize the terrorist threat . who involved preventative measures, whether at a military with social level, consist of gathering information about the enemy, collecting information about its sleep of cells. yeah. can we do this so we can intervene before a surprise attack or rather do that. so that way the prevention is best as in the queue, right? that's what i'd go with. i for some, this is a flicker of hope in the face of ever expanding conflict in the rest of this i how as well. so that's it for now,

but be sure to check out other stories on our website on social media, and see you next time, bye for now the

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this is the to the news. why? from berlin, a lifeline for ukraine from germany. berlin says it's sending a 3rd patriot air defense system to keep cars. forces are struggling to shield ukrainians from russian air strikes. also coming up to run sees is a cargo ship linked to israel in the strait upon moods. us leader joe biden, warren's table on against attacking israel, following a deadly strike on a runs console. as in syria and a man, step 6 people to death and sidney a police officer, shoot dead, the suspect at a busy shopping mall. several people are injured some serious.