Afghanistan has only few days of medical supplies left: WHO

Afghanistan will soon run out of essential medical supplies. The war-torn nation has only a few days of medical supplies left to meet the health requirements of the people of the nation, as per the World Health Organisation (WHO). 

As per media reports, Afghanistan is falling short of essential medical supplies including medicines for hospitals, medical equipment to contain COVID-19 and nutritional food for acutely malnourished children. 

The demand for trauma kits is also high in the nation following the blasts at Kabul airport on August 26, 2021. The closure of the Kabul airport for commercial operations has forced WHO to explore other means to transport medical supplies, informed WHO's emergency director for the Eastern Mediterranean region, Rick Brennan.

Logistics constraints to bring in more medical supplies, Pakistan to support?

As per Brennan, there are several multiple security and logistics constraints to bring in more medical supplies. However, WHO hopes to solve the issue in the coming days, with the support of the Pakistan government. 

WHO stated that since Kabul airport cannot be used to bring in medical supplies at this stage, the organisation is hoping to use Mazar-i-Sharif airport and the first flight is hopefully going to come in the next few days. 

Afghanistan facing its worst-ever crisis

Afghanistan is currently facing its worst-ever crisis in decades after the Taliban took control of the country following the collapse of the Ashraf Ghani-led Afghan government. 

Mass Migration 

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimated on August 28, 2021 that around 500,000 Afghans may be forced to leave the nation in the next 4 months due to political uncertainty prevailing across the nation. 

As per UNHCR, there had not been mass migration from Afghanistan until now but the current evolving situation may force a large number of people to leave the country. 

As per Afghan residents, the current political uncertainty along with security issues and unemployment have forced them to leave the country. The UN body has urged the neighbouring countries to keep their borders open to Afghan refugees.

Afghan women facing uncertain future

Several Afghans have shared that they are currently facing an uncertain future. They have worked and studied hard up until now but with the Taliban returning to power in the nation, they do not know what is going to happen to them.

There are already reports of some female healthcare workers not returning to work. There have also been reports of a decline in the attendance of women and children at some facilities. 

Food uncertainty 

The World Food Programme (WFP) has asked the United Nations to provide it with USD 12 million to provide food for the much-in need Afghans.

As per the UN, nearly 18 million people require global support and they include an estimated 3.5 million internally displaced people.

WHO has expressed its full commitment to assisting the displaced and vulnerable people in Afghanistan.

Background 

The World Health Organisation has staff in all of Afghanistan's 34 provinces and they are closely monitoring the health situation in the country. Most of the 2,200 health centres that are monitored by WHO are open in the nation.