WHO urges donors to resume funding of Afghanistan's healthcare system

Sept 23 Reuters - The representative of the World Health Organisation in Afghanistan called on the international community on Thursday to resume funding of the war-torn country's health program which was suspended when the Taliban took over governing the country, as the healthcare system plunged into crisis.

The deteriorating situation highlighted the dilemma faced by many international donors, many of which are reticent to fund the Taliban administration, some of its members are on international sanctions lists but fear that the country is veering towards humanitarian crisis.

In the recent weeks, access to health care has significantly declined for hundreds of thousands of some of the most vulnerable Afghans, Luo Dapeng, WHO representative in Geneva, said at a press conference in Afghanistan.

The already fragile health system in the country is overwhelmed, he said, adding that they would coordinate with donors to find alternative funding mechanisms for health facilities.

International governments have pledged millions of dollars for urgent humanitarian aid, but questions remain over longer term development and other funding for an economy heavily dependent on international assistance. Billions of dollars in central banking assets held outside the country have also been frozen.

A roughly $600 million three-year health project managed by the World Bank in Afghanistan has funded the operation of hundreds of health facilities and WHO estimates less than a fifth are now fully functioning. What has contributed to a surge in measles and diarrhea, with half the Afghan children at risk of malnutrition and millions of COVID - 19 vaccinations lying unused, Dapeng said.