The transportation of lifesaving assistance and aesculapian supplies to millions of Afghans indispensable not beryllium cut, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday, citing a more than threefold emergence successful the fig of trauma cases.

According to the UN wellness agency, 70 WHO-supported medical facilities crossed Afghanistan treated astir 14,000 conflict-related cases last month, which compares with 4,057 cases seen a twelvemonth ago.    

“Sustained entree to humanitarian assistance, including indispensable wellness services and aesculapian supplies, is simply a captious lifeline for millions of Afghans, and indispensable not beryllium interrupted”, said Dr. Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean. 

"I besides spoke to the acting Health Minister, Dr. Wahid Majrooh. He is successful Kabul moving to debar disruptions and support indispensable wellness services moving. I reassured him that WHO and unit volition proceed to enactment the state [#Afghanistan]"-@DrTedros https://t.co/pI1uuiPqyO

— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) August 18, 2021

Addressing the issue  

In a related development, following the Taliban takeover and amid ongoing apprehension over the information of minorities, rights defenders and others in in the country, the Human Rights Council announced a special session to code “serious quality rights concerns”. 

The all-day debate, scheduled for Tuesday, follows an official petition submitted yesterday jointly by Pakistan and Afghanistan with the support of 89 countries, to date.   

It besides comes after repeated warnings from UN rights main Michelle Bachelet astir the ramifications of failing to stem rising violence in the country and the “disastrous consequences” for the radical of Afghanistan. 

Supply shortages 

In a statement, WHO’s Dr. Al-Mandhari explained that months of unit has heavy impacted Afghanistan’s already fragile wellness system, which continues to look shortages successful indispensable supplies amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The WHO elder authoritative also insisted that the health UN bureau is “committed to staying” successful Afghanistan, contempt the uncertain concern pursuing the Taliban takeover connected Sunday. 

On Tuesday, WHO dispatched trauma and burns kit equipment to Kabul’s Wazir Akbar Khan Hospital and enough basic aesculapian kits to assist 10,000 radical for three months, Dr. Al-Mandhari said. 

Although initial health needs assessments of displaced populations have been taking place, further interventions “have been connected clasp for the past 36 hours” owing to insecurity, the WHO authoritative added.   

Displaced and suffering 

Meanwhile, successful areas where people person fled in hunt of safety and shelter –including Kabul and different ample cities – determination person been increasing cases of diarrhoea, malnutrition and high humor pressure among the displaced.  

“Delays and disruptions to wellness attraction volition summation the hazard of illness outbreaks and forestall immoderate of the astir susceptible groups from seeking life-saving wellness care”, Dr. Al-Mandhari said. “There is an contiguous request to guarantee continuity of wellness services crossed the country, with a absorption connected ensuring women person entree to pistillate wellness workers”. 

Attacks connected wellness care workers and facilities remain a large challenge too, with 26 facilities and 31 workers affected between January and July 2021, including the decease of 12 health care workers. 

Committed to helping 

The WHO official’s comments came aft the apical UN assistance coordinator for Afghanistan, Ramiz Alakbarov, appealed to the planetary assemblage for support.

In a statement on Tuesday, Mr Alakbarov said that while the concern remained “highly complex” humanitarian agencies were committed to supporting susceptible radical successful Afghanistan “who request america much than ever”.