Middle East / North Africa

Publications9 September 2026

Harm reduction among refugees and displaced populations in Lebanon: a systematic review

Abbas et al. highlight major gaps and barriers in access to harm reduction, including legal restrictions, stigma, and limited integration with healthcare, and call for more accessible, tailored services.

News7 September 2026

The return of the Golden Crescent? Rising poppy cultivation across Southwest Asia

Opium poppy cultivation shows expansion across Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran, as economic pressures, changing practices and prohibition reshape markets.

News13 May 2026

Access under fire: OST in wartime Lebanon

Lebanon’s emergency extension of vital prescriptions shows how flexible, rights-based health responses can protect people who use drugs subjected to war and displacement.

Publications13 May 2026

Annual report on the death penalty in Iran 2025

IHRNGO and ECPM report that executions in Iran reached their highest recorded level since 1989 , with drug-related offences accounting for nearly half of all known executions.

Events

Islam & drug policy — A webinar

Online

30 April 2026

Drawing on country experiences, this session discusses how Islamic perspectives can support harm reduction and people-centred drug policy reform.

Publications31 March 2026

Saudi Arabia’s drug-related executions violate international law — Opinion No. 71/2025 by the by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention

UN experts say that Saudi Arabia’s use of the death penalty for drug offences violates international law, highlighting serious due process violations and discriminatory impacts on foreign nationals.

Publications31 March 2026

Increasing access to harm reduction services across the African region: Report from the INHSU Policy Day 2025

The report outlines key barriers to harm reduction in Africa and proposes rights-based, community-led strategies to expand access, strengthen systems, and ensure sustainable, evidence-based responses.

News2 January 2026

Morocco aims to boost legal cannabis farming and tap a global boom

Legal cannabis cultivation provides farmers with stability and income, but restrictive regulations and the profitability of the black market enable illicit growing to persist.

Events

15th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

26 September 2026 - 1 October 2026

The UN Crime Congress will take place in April 2026 in Abu Dhabi, focusing on justice, sustainability, and digital challenges, with broad, inclusive participation and regional preparations starting in 2025.

Publications28 February 2025

Annual report on the death penalty in Iran 2024

IHRNGO and ECPM notes a significant increase in drug-related executions, disproportionately impacting marginalised communities, and calls on the UN and wider international community to act.

News31 October 2024

Urgent support needed amidst escalations in Lebanon

Kindly consider donating to Skoun's important work providing health and harm reduction services amidst escalating violence.

Publications26 September 2024

Trouble in Afghanistan’s opium fields: The Taliban's war on drugs

The International Crisis Group warns of devastating effects for impoverished farmers impacted by the Taliban's new anti-narcotics campaign and opium ban, and calls for economic support.

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