Liberia's kush crisis: families struggle as drug trade booms

Liberia's synthetic drug kush has driven a generation into addiction, with families like Miata Paye's watching children slip away despite repeated rehab attempts. Declared a public health emergency in 2024, the crisis is compounded by an unfinished government rehabilitation centre and a justice system that recorded only eight convictions per 1,167 drug arrests. Meanwhile, authorities seized nearly four tonnes of cocaine, signalling Liberia's role as a transit hub.