WHO warned it only had medical supplies in Afghanistan for a week

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Tuesday that He only has medical supplies in Afghanistan for a week, due to the inability to get supplies into the country, at a time when needs are increasing due to violence and chaos in Kabul.

“At the moment, WHO only has enough supplies in the country for a week,” the organization’s regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean, Ahmed al Mandhari, told a virtual press conference.

Al Mandhari explained that More than 500 tons of medical supplies destined for the Asian country are stranded in Dubai, due to the inability to send them by air due to the chaotic situation at Kabul airport.

“We had already organized the plane; Unfortunately, commercial flights are not permitted in the country at this time. So we have explored different options for bringing the supplies, we are in negotiations with the governments of three or four countries. I’m not free to say countries at this stage, but I think we can secure flights to bring in supplies, ”he commented.

“We remain cautiously optimistic about our ability to resume our operations on a larger scale in the coming weeks.”

This shortage, added the regional director, coincides with an increase in needs in the country due to the latest events.

WHO fears that there is a new peak in covid-19 infections, due to the movement of internally displaced people, which could lead to further transmission of the virus.

Until last week, a cumulative 158,600 cases had been recorded in Afghanistan since the start of the pandemic and the number of new daily infections was declining, although barely 5% of the population, or about two million people, are vaccinated.

“Afghanistan has reported over 150,000 cases of COVID-19, over 7,000 tests on August 23, 2021. However, there is a decrease in testing due to insecurity, the rate of testing last week has decreased by 77% in public and private laboratories compared to the previous week. As a result, we know that there are not enough reports of COVID-19 cases, ”a representative of the entity said at a press conference.

On the other hand, the agency indicated that it had received there are reports of increasing cases of diarrhea, high blood pressure, reproductive health complications, malnutrition, trauma and emergencies.

Its regional emergency director, Richard Brennan, said the WHO had received offers of flights to bring the stranded material to Afghanistan and expected to have “encouraging news” about it “in the next two years. days”.

For his part, the WHO representative in the Asian country, Dapeng Luo, said that the Taliban are currently supporting the work of the organization and are not putting pressure on its staff, despite which some of its employees were not came to work, and had even resigned, “because of the insecure situation”.

WHO currently has 684 people working in 34 provinces of the country, which before the onset of the current crisis was already the scene of the third largest humanitarian operation in the world due to “war, displacement, drought, hunger and, of course, the covid-19 pandemic, ”Dapeng said.

He also admitted that although both men and women use his services, “Some patients fear leaving their homes unless they are in life-threatening conditions.”

Brennan stressed that the Taliban “have made it clear that they want the United Nations to stay and (want) health services to continue,” and that the Radical Movement’s health commissioner met on Monday with international organizations that operate in this sector and encouraged them. stay in the country.

AIRPORT RESTRICTION

The Taliban announced on Tuesday that to avoid further chaos at Kabul airport, now Afghan citizens will not be able to get to the terminal, a move that will hamper attempts by the United States and other nations to evacuate vulnerable Afghan allies from the country.

“No Afghans are allowed to go to the airport», Declared at a press conference in Kabul the main spokesman of the insurgents, Zabihullah Mujahid, who assured that “The crowds at the airport must go home” and they will ensure their safety.

Only foreigners can come to the terminalHe added, in an attempt to end the chaos sparked after the Taliban takeover, with tens of thousands of people trying to leave the country in desperation on evacuation flights. However, Western countries have already evacuated most of their nationals and are targeting Afghans who have collaborated in their operations and fear reprisals from the new regime

(with information from the EFE)

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