INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
As winter sets in across Afghanistan and as the economic crisis worsens, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reports a spike
in cases of child pneumonia and malnutrition.At 33 ICRC-supported hospitals across the country, child malnutrition cases are already 90
percent higher in 2022 compared to all of 2021, rising from 33,000 cases to over 63,000 so far this year
Meanwhile, at an ICRC-supported children&s hospital in Kabul, the number of children under 5 being treated for pneumonia has risen 55
percent in 2022 versus the same period last year.&The poverty level in Afghanistan has increased compared to past years
Most people cannot buy material to keep their homes and children warm
They also cannot afford to feed their children properly so pneumonia cases are rising, and the number of malnutrition cases linked to
pneumonia will rise, too,& said Dr
Abdul Qayum Azeemi, an ICRC doctor who coordinates ICRC&s programme in Kabul&s Indira Ghandhi hospital.Despite a significant decrease in the
intensity of the fighting, the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan remains alarming
More than half the population (24 million people) need humanitarian assistance and half (20 million people) are acutely food insecure
The deepening economic crisis further impacted by international sanctions and the economic consequences of the Russia-Ukraine international
armed conflict makes it impossible for millions of Afghans to make ends meet
Wheat, cooking oil and fertilizer prices have risen
People lost income sources and used up their financial reserves
The agricultural sector has also been impacted by earthquakes, droughts and floods.&Afghan families face an impossible choice: To eat or to
And, really, they can&t afford either, resulting in a frightening rise in malnutrition and pneumonia cases,& Martin Schüepp, ICRC&s
director of operations, said during his visit to Afghanistan this week
&Aid organizations can&t answer all the overwhelming cries for help
That&s why we&re urging states and development agencies to return to Afghanistan to continue providing support to the millions here in
need.&The post Child pneumonia, malnutrition spikes as Afghan families face impossible choice: eat or heat first appeared on Ariana News.
