Overview:
Community leaders, law enforcement officials, health professionals and former President Johnson Toribiong gathered in Koror this week as the Belau Association of Non-Governmental Organizations and Palau Conservation Society opened the Cheldebechel Forum with a frank discussion on Palau’s escalating meth crisis. With narcotics cases surging sharply in 2025, panelists warned that addiction has touched every state and nearly every family — and called for urgent, community-wide action to break what they described as a repeating cycle of drug-related harm.
By: Summer Kennard
KOROR, Palau (Feb. 25, 2026) – The Belau Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (BANGO) and Palau Conservation Society (PCS) opened the Cheldebechel Forum with a panel discussion highlighting the causes of Palau’s ongoing drug crisis and the role communities must play in addressing it.
The opening panel, moderated by Joleen Ngoriak and titled “Stopping the Cycle: Why Drug-Related Crises Repeat and How Communities Change the Outcome”
“Today we may not fix this fracture of our village alone, but we can begin to name it,” Ngoriak said. “Meth is a relentless drug, and this must be the start of relentless effort.”
Kenny Sengebau, Chief of the Narcotics Enforcement Agency (NEA), presented data showing fluctuations in methamphetamine cases over the past several years, with a sharp rise in 2025. According to NEA data, there were 20 cases in 2019, 24 in 2020, eight in 2021, 17 in 2022, 13 in both 2023 and 2024, and a significant increase to 48 cases in 2025.
Sengebau said the rise in cases underscores the urgency of collective action.
“That’s why we’re gathered here using the Cheldebechel Forum to address these issues,” he said. “We have come to realize as a community that drugs are becoming a pandemic. It is not just law enforcement’s responsibility-it is all of ours.”
He also expressed gratitude to the Olbiil Era Kelulau for passing drug testing laws, noting that they have helped authorities make progress. Despite challenges such as limited staffing and resources, Sengebau emphasized that these cannot be used as excuses.
“We are all here representing the 16 states,” he said. “Let’s all pledge that it is our responsibility.”
David Moses of the Bureau of Behavioral Health’s Community Guidance Center spoke about addiction from a treatment and prevention perspective, explaining that substance use disorders are influenced by both risk and protective factors.
“Risk factors are things that make you more likely to develop addictions, and protective factors are things that help prevent them,” Moses said, noting that addiction is also hereditary.
He described services offered through the Addiction Treatment Program, including screenings, individual and group counseling, skill-building sessions to prevent relapse, and medical support. Moses also emphasized the importance of strengthening community engagement. “One step we can take is investing in activities and clubs where the community can come together,” he said.
Community leaders also spoke about the erosion of traditional support systems. Jennifer Sugiyama of Community Bridge said families and homes have historically played a central role in guiding and correcting youth.
“Our homes are not a place of healing anymore,” she said. “We’re losing our Palauan ways and safety nets like families and households who once worked together to guide our children. We need to be the bridge connecting our children back to the community.”
Vierra Toribiong, representing community support initiatives, stressed that the drug crisis affects every part of Palau.
“There’s not a state in Palau that doesn’t have people involved in illegal drugs,” she said. “It has touched every family. It is happening everywhere, and it is a pandemic.”
During the question-and-answer session, Kambes Kesolei asked about the root causes of addiction and why rehabilitation often appears to come at the final stage of intervention.
Moses responded that addiction stems from a combination of cultural, social, and family factors.
“In Palau, alcohol and other substances are widely used, which can normalize these behaviors,” he said. “There are also challenges at home-parents working long hours, children feeling disconnected. All these factors contribute to what we see today.”
Ngoriak added that the crisis must also be viewed through a broader socioeconomic lens.
“This is a structural problem,” she said. “When poverty rises, violence and drug use tend to rise as well.”
Former President Johnson Toribiong, speaking from his experience working with incarcerated individuals, highlighted the need for reform and expanded rehabilitation efforts. He said many individuals struggling with addiction enter the justice system with limited support and few opportunities for recovery.
Toribiong called for reforms at the Koror jail and greater emphasis on rehabilitation, particularly for young offenders.“The first crime of a child, that child is a victim” he said. “They were introduced to drugs, given a free dose, and later became dependent. We must put more emphasis on rehabilitation.”
In the final audience comment, one citizen emphasized the role of faith in prevention and recovery, stating, “We are lacking Jesus in our lives, and without Him we invite things like drugs and addiction into our lives.” The citizen urged communities to strengthen church activities to help guide individuals and families.
Panelists acknowledged that recovery requires a broad, community-wide effort that includes families, cultural leaders, faith groups, health professionals, and law enforcement.