The World Health Organisation (WHO) has called on the international community to prioritise access to health services and safeguard the future of women and girls in Afghanistan.
WHO Director-General, Tedros Ghebreyesus, says Afghanistan cannot be allowed to backslide after two decades of progress regarding the rights of women and girls.
WHO concerned about Afghan situation:
He says WHO staff remain in the country and are committed to delivering health services to the most vulnerable. Ghebreyesus has applauded the acting health minister in Afghanistan for staying in the country to provide assistance on health services.
“WHO dispatched trauma kits and other medical supplies to help healthcare workers responding to the increase in injuries. I also spoke to acting health minister Dr Wahid Majroh. He is in Kabul working to avoid disruptions and keep essential services moving and I thank him for his commitment to stay in the country to help the needy. And I assured him that WHO and staff will continue to support the country.”
Stampede at airport
NATO says 17 people were injured in a stampede at a gate to the airport in the Afghanistan capital, Kabul as people continue to try to flee the country following the Taliban’s takeover.
A NATO security official says the stampede happened as Western countries stepped up the evacuation of their diplomats and many Afghan nationals who had worked for the American-led force in the country.
NATO has also told the civilian to stop gathering around the airport if they don’t hold a passport and visa. It also says there are no reports of violence by Taliban fighters on the perimeter of Kabul airport. – additional reporting by Reuters
