SIGAR: Afghanistan may face COVID-19 ‘Health Disaster’

Monitoring Desk

KABUL: Afghanistan, beset by a poor healthcare system, malnutrition, war and other vulnerabilities, is likely facing a “health disaster” from the coronavirus, a watchdog report to the US Congress warns, as quoted by Reuters.

The report released late on Thursday by Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) John Sopko could heighten concerns among US officials and lawmakers that the pandemic threatens to derail stalled US-led peace efforts, according to the Reuters report.

The spread of COVID-19 already has significantly impacted Afghanistan, the report said, from complicating the peace initiative to forcing border crossing closures that have disrupted commercial and humanitarian deliveries.

“Afghanistan’s numerous and, in some cases, unique vulnerabilities – a weak health-care system, widespread malnutrition, porous borders, massive internal displacement, contiguity with Iran, and ongoing conflict – make it likely the country will confront a health disaster in the coming months,” the report said.

Rising food prices in the impoverished country likely will worsen the crisis, Sopko said in a letter accompanying the report.

On Thursday, the Ministry of Public Health reported 232 positive cases of the coronavirus in the country, bringing the total to 2,171.

The report said the NATO-led international coalition declined to make available for public release data on the number of attacks launched by the Taliban in the first three months of 2020.

It was the first time that publication of the data has been denied since SIGAR began using them to track levels and locations of violence in 2018, the report said. (TOLOnews)