The World Health Organization landed a plane in Afghanistan carrying 12.5 metric tons of medical supplies on Monday. Last week, WHO said it was unable to deliver 500 tonnes of medical supplies because of restrictions at the airport in Kabul. According to the agency, the shipment that landed on Monday went to another airport, Mazar-i-Sharif, in northern Afghanistan.
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Tensions at the airport in Kabul have continued to escalate in the wake of the Taliban’s takeover of the country. Last Thursday, at least 183 people were killed in attacks outside Kabul’s airport by Islamic State group affiliate, ISIS-K.
On Sunday, the United States launched a drone strike in Kabul targeting a vehicle with explosives. The drone strike has reportedly killed civilians. On Monday, rockets were fired at the airport as the U.S. scrambles to complete the evacuation of its citizens by its Tuesday deadline.
This all amid a humanitarian crisis, where 18 million people across the country are urgently in need of aid, due to conflict, displacement, drought, and the pandemic. Reports in Kabul and other large cities show a rise in cases of diarrhea, malnutrition, COVID-19-like symptoms, among other health complications. The country is also seeing a rise in conflict-related trauma cases.
Amid Afghanistan’s political crisis, a health system at ‘breaking point’
Weeks of conflict have resulted in an increase in trauma injuries and demand for emergency medical and surgical services. And according to WHO field reports, Kabul and other large cities show an increasing need for medical aid.
Monday’s plane is the first shipment WHO has delivered following the takeover of the Taliban. The shipment included trauma and emergency health kits, with an aim to provide basic health needs to 200,000 people, and facilitate 3,500 surgical procedures and treat 6,500 trauma patients. They will be delivered to 40 health facilities in 29 provinces across the country.
The plane was provided by the Pakistani government and it was loaded in Dubai. It’s the first of three flights planned with Pakistan International Airlines to ship medicines and medical supplies to Afghanistan.
“I am very pleased to say that we have now been able to partially replenish stocks of health facilities in Afghanistan and ensure that — for now — WHO-supported health services can continue,” said Dr. Ahmed Al Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, in a statement to Devex.
A spokesperson for the agency said it “is continuing to explore more options to get further supplies in.”
WHO also said that a “reliable humanitarian air bridge is urgently required to scale up the collective humanitarian effort.”
About the author
Sara Jervingsarajerving
Sara Jerving is a Senior Reporter at Devex, where she covers global health. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, VICE News, and Bloomberg News among others. Sara holds a master's degree from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism where she was a Lorana Sullivan fellow. She was a finalist for One World Media's Digital Media Award in 2021; a finalist for the Livingston Award for Young Journalists in 2018; and she was part of a VICE News Tonight on HBO team that received an Emmy nomination in 2018. She received the Philip Greer Memorial Award from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in 2014.
