Yemen marks International Day for combating drugs

Yemen Observer Managing Editor honored in ceremony

Abdul-Aziz Oudah pointed out the need for the media, civil society organization, and the authorities to work together in the fight against narcotics

Yemen marked last Monday at the Syrian Cultural Center, in cooperation with the Suna’ al-Haiat organization, the International Day for Combating Narcotics. The event was attended by the General Authority for Drug Control, the UN office in Yemen, the Ministry of Health, civil society organizations, and the media.

Colonel Musa’b al-Sufi, the Deputy Manager of the General Authority for Drug Control, said that their administration made great efforts to reduce drug trafficking and circulation, leading to curtailing of traffick and circulation in Yemen, as well as foiling the process of making Yemen a transit station between places of production  and consumption.

Al-Sufi said that their administration is achieving success, stressing the role that is played by the media in awareness of the problem.

On the other hand, Brigadier Dr. Noman al-Masodi, the UN Representative and Advisor for Crime and Drug Control, pointed in his lecture to the tasks that their office undertakes in crime control in general and drug control in particular.

Abdul-Aziz Oudah, the Yemen Observer’s Managing Editor, said in his lecture entitled “The Media’s Role in Drug Control” that the media is a major partner to the security authorities in drug control, adding that their role in combating crime and drugs is the same as the role of security authorities.

Oudah called at the end of his lecture for training of the media by the participating professional authorities in cooperation with relevant civil society organizations to convey the right media message to targeted personnel.

He invited the media not to stop at the mere presentation of the  problem, but that they should take their role a step further to talk about solutions.

Oudah said that drug addiction is a severe disease, but it’s not the end of life, and that the addict can regain strength and become integrated into the community. He added that the role of media is to direct the addict to the public and civil authorities that can help him get out of his addiction, ensure him that he is not alone in his plight, and that they will help him to overcome it.

The Observer Managing Editor stressed the establishment of a joint public, civil society, and media facility for coordinating efforts with each of the working authorities.
 

 He called the security authorities to provide the media with accurate information to save them from resorting to assumptions and interpretation, which would harm the  cause of awareness rather than helping it, and may lead to undermining the joint efforts of both parties.
 

He called the security authorities to hold press conferences, or to appoint a spokesperson to whom the media can consult to obtain information.
 

Dr. Yomna Fathi al-Aswadi, pointed out the role played by civil society, with Suna’ al-Haiat organization as an example, in raising awareness against drug hazards, and their effort in combating the phenomenon.
 

At the end of the event, a number of authorities, activists and individuals were honored for their role in drug combat, including the General Authority for Drug Control.
 

Oudah, was also honored on behalf of the journalists participating in drug combat. 
 

At the beginning of this year, security authorities confiscated 4 tons of Hashish, 500,000 narcotic pills, as well as of 3.26 tons of hashish and 13 million narcotic pills in the previous year.
 

It is notable that the drug trafficking sources in production countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, and Syria target the Gulf countries, using Yemen as a transit station.

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