WHO concerned about logjam of humanitarian aid due to chaotic situation at Kabul airport

As the Taliban seized several parts of Afghanistan, lakhs of civilians have been living in a state of fear of being brutally killed or tortured by the extremist group. They are taking the air route to flee from the country. However, those who were left behind, who need urgent humanitarian support left with no options, said the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Monday. According to the WHO, around 500 tonnes of medical supplies and nutrition kits have been stranded due to restrictions at Kabul airport. It is worth mentioning that the operation at Kabul Airport is currently managed by the US. It has barred commercial flights to land at the airport to evacuate its citizens and Afghans.

'Massive humanitarian needs facing the majority of the population should not - and cannot – be neglected'

The specialized agency of United Nations responsible for international public health stressed that nearly half of the population (18.5 million people) in Afghanistan rely on humanitarian needs which are currently hindered for the last two months. "While the main focus over the past days has been major air operations for the evacuation of internationals and vulnerable Afghans, the massive humanitarian needs facing the majority of the population should not - and cannot – be neglected. Even prior to the events of the past weeks, Afghanistan represented the world’s third-largest humanitarian operation, with over 18 million people requiring assistance. However, with no commercial aircraft currently permitted to land in Kabul, we have no way to get supplies into the country and to those in need. Other humanitarian agencies are similarly constrained," said WHO in a statement released on August 22. 

WHO appeals to evacuee nations for routing their empty planes to their warehouses

According to WHO spokesperson Inas Hamam, the organisation is approaching several nations which are evacuating their citizens from the war-torn country to re-route the empty planes to its warehouse in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to collect the supplies. “In the first few days of the recent hostilities, both WHO and UNICEF — like all other UN agencies — prioritized the safety and security of our staff. But our work continued even when the hostilities were at their worst. We remain committed to staying in Afghanistan and delivering. We rapidly shifted gears to address the needs of millions of Afghans who remain in the country," read the statement of WHO. “Conflict, displacement, drought and the COVID-19 pandemic are all contributing to a complex and desperate situation in Afghanistan. Humanitarian agencies need to be supported and facilitated to meet the enormous and growing needs in Afghanistan and make sure that no one dies unnecessarily due to lack of access to aid."

(With inputs from WHO's statement)

Image: @WHO/Twitter