Health situation of children in Afghanistan worsening amid harsh winter

Abdullah Amirzada
Press TV, Kabul

The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan is alarming. Millions are in dire need of humanitarian assistance and medical aid, especially children. Pneumonia and malnutrition are rife, particularly among children.

The International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) says there has been a 55 percent rise in the number of patients under the age of five in 2022. Health experts say the situation is probably going to get even worse.

One of the main reasons for the alarming trend is the economic crisis in the country that has deteriorated the living conditions of Afghans.

Since US-backed forces withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021, foreign aid has declined dramatically and key central bank assets have been seized by the US government, compounding one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.

Afghan officials have time and again called on the West to stop politicizing humanitarian aid to the country.

Despite working tirelessly and with great devotion, healthcare workers say quick measures should be taken in order to prevent a health crisis in Afghanistan. They say the cold season and high unemployment rates add to the number of malnourished children.

Decades of war, natural disasters, poverty and food insecurity are the factors that have contributed to the making of the current humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.

The country’s population is in dire need of humanitarian aid and therefore is calling on the international community to stop what they see as politicizing the issue.

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