AFGHAN TALIBAN CALLED INT’L COMMUNITY FOR HELP IN COMBATING COVID-19 OUTBREAK

Sun 25 July 2021:

The Taliban movement is calling on the international community and non-governmental organizations to assist it with combating the COVID-19 pandemic, Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen has told Sputnik.

“Now we have control over all rural areas of Afghanistan, there is need for medical assistance. We call on world countries and NGOs to come forward and help us in tackling the corona pandemic,” Shaheen said.

The spokesman added that, according to the movement’s health commission, while there is a dire need for COVID-19 vaccines and oxygen generators, “no one has helped us.”

“They say we are doing our best to create awareness among people but don’t have the necessary medicines and vaccines to cope with the growing pandemic,” Shaheen stated.

The United States and the United Kingdom on Friday called on the Taliban to provide access for delivery of humanitarian aid to the areas that they control.

Afghanistan has very limited infrastructure to treat severe cases; has a life expectancy of only 50 years for both genders and a high percentage of the population suffers from pre-existing health conditions such as TB, HIV-AIDS, malnutrition, cancer, heart and lung disease, and environmental pollution.

This lack of testing and treatment capacity has been further exacerbated by attacks on healthcare facilities by armed groups.

According to a UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) report published on 21 June, between 11 March and 23 May 2020 there were 15 incidents affecting healthcare facilities including 12 deliberate attacks.

COVID-19 induced lockdowns have amplified the effects of the conflict, rendering tens of thousands of working Afghans suddenly jobless, compelling over 376,000 to return from Pakistan and Iran since January.

Despite this counterflow there has been a major downturn in remittances – the World Bank estimated remittances amounted to nearly USD 868m in 2019 – a significant revenue stream for the rural poor.

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