Daily 167 children die in Afghanistan: health sector in Taliban power, only 2 nurses on 60 children, not even oxygen masks

About 167 children are dying every day in Afghanistan. According to BBC, this figure is only official and the ground reality could be much worse. Many rooms in the best hospital of Ghor province are full of sick children. At least 2 children are admitted on one bed in the hospital. At the same time, only 2 nurses are working in the ward for 60 children.

According to UNICEF, these children are suffering from serious diseases. However, treatment of these diseases is possible. Actually, health facilities have always been bad in Afghanistan. Attacks due to Taliban occupation, treatment facilities were raised here through foreign funding, but this also stopped after 2021. According to the BBC, several major hospitals have closed in the last 20 months.

Doctor said - there is no way other than seeing the children die

Since seizing power, the Taliban has been continuously imposing different bans on women. It has also banned women from working in NGOs. Because of this, the agencies are not able to help the children even in the form of social service. Dr. Samadi, who works in a hospital in Ghor, told that the hospital does not have enough oxygen cylinders. There is also a shortage of other necessary machines for treatment.

Dr. Samadi said- We do not even have the required number of trained staff. There is a huge shortage of female staff. When we have all the children who are in critical condition, which child do we treat first? We have no choice but to watch them die.

Funding is not happening because the government is not recognized

They have received only 5% of the funding UN has appealed for Afghanistan. In fact, on 15 August 2021, the Taliban had captured Kabul as well as entire Afghanistan. Before this, billions of rupees were spent for public healthcare in Afghanistan for 21 years. Since the change of power in 2021, the government of Taliban has not been recognized till now. In such a situation, it has become difficult to allocate money for the country.