One doctor at a hospital told the non-profit he had never seen so many cases of child pneumonia and severe malnutrition. According to the medical professional, 135 children had died in or on their way to the hospital last December…reports Asian Lite News
UK-based international NGO “Save the Children” on Monday said that Pneumonia cases in Afghanistan are soaring, killing children who are unable to access healthcare facilities, Anadolu agency reported.
“Child pneumonia is surging in the middle of a hunger crisis that is ravaging young immune systems,” Anadolu agency quoted the Save the Children’s statement.
“The collapse of the health system, driven largely by frozen financial assets and withdrawn aid, comes at a deadly cost for Afghan children,” read the statement.
One doctor at a hospital told the non-profit he had never seen so many cases of child pneumonia and severe malnutrition. According to the medical professional, 135 children had died in or on their way to the hospital last December, the Anadolu agency reported.
“Afghanistan’s economic freefall threatens to leave more than 95 per cent of the population living in poverty,” the statement said, adding that cost is the “biggest single barrier” to healthcare.
“Clinics across the country have been forced to close as wages for health workers have dried up,” it said, adding “Crumbling health services is one of the direct impacts of global assets freezes and suspended development aid, both of which are choking the healthcare system,” Anadolu agency reported.
It further reported that the aid agency called on the international community to unlock vital funding. Following the Taliban’s takeover, Afghanistan’s access to international funds was cut off.
The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated drastically since the Taliban took control of Kabul.
A combination of a suspension of foreign aid, the freezing of Afghan government assets, and international sanctions on the Taliban, have plunged the country, already suffering from high poverty levels, into a full-blown economic crisis.
Delay in getting Pak visa
Afghans seeking medical assistance have to wait for months, face unending struggles with the process and delays for a Pakistani visa.
The applicants for visas said that although they filled out forms months ago, their visas are yet to be issued, reported Tolo News.
Abdullah is seeking a visa for Pakistan as his young daughter is suffering from heart disease. Abdullah said he wanted to take his daughter for treatment but Pakistan’s embassy in Kabul is yet to issue the visa, and they have been waiting for over four months.
“Not everyone wants to visit Pakistan for tourism. Some may have problems, such as business problems and there are people who need medical care. My daughter is sick. My visa has not been issued and I have come here to ask about it at the embassy. She is suffering from heart disease,” he said.
Parwiz, who provides online services for Pakistan visas, said that he filled out the visa forms for around 750 applicants but none of them has received their visa yet, reported Tolo News.
“Pakistan does not tell people about the fate of their visas, and it cancels them whenever it wants to, despite people spending about 80-100 dollars,” he said.
The Islamic Emirate said that the facilitation of visas for Afghans was one of the matters discussed with the Pakistani delegation led by National Security Advisor (NSA) Moeed Yusuf, reported Tolo News.
On Saturday, Moeed Yusuf and his accompanying delegation arrived in Kabul to discuss various matters with Islamic Emirate officials.
“In the past also, some agreements were made regarding this but it didn’t become practical. We will hold talks about it, as there are problems with visas on the (Pakistan) side as well as the transfer of goods,” said Bilal Karimi, deputy spokesman for the Islamic Emirate said.
Previously, the Pakistani Minister of Foreign Affairs Shah Mahmood Qureshi during a visit to Kabul pledged to provide help facilitate the visa application process for Afghans.
But visas for Pakistan apparently remain an unsolved problem for the Afghans. (ANI)