The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday that its stock of medical supplies remaining in Afghanistan was sufficient "for a week" only, 10 days after the fall of Kabul to the Taliban.

"The medical supplies that WHO has today on site are only enough for a week," said Ahmed al-Mandhari, head of the "Eastern Mediterranean" region which extends for the WHO from Morocco to Pakistan.

“Yesterday, 70% of this equipment was sent to health facilities,” he added.

500 metric tons of drugs and medical materials stuck in a warehouse in Dubai

According to the director, 500 metric tons of drugs and medical materials are stuck in a warehouse in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, due to chaotic evacuation efforts at Kabul airport, which is unable to receive medical supplies. commercial flights.

“Countries that charter empty planes to transport evacuees feel unable to help,” said Ahmed al-Mandhari.

"The immediate establishment of an air bridge"

On Sunday, WHO and Unicef ​​jointly called for "the immediate establishment of a reliable and robust humanitarian airlift to deliver medical equipment".

“Even before the events of recent weeks, Afghanistan represented the third largest humanitarian operation in the world, with more than 18 million people in need of assistance,” UN organizations said in their statement.

The Americans stepped up their efforts on Tuesday to evacuate thousands of Afghans and foreigners from Kabul as quickly as possible, the Taliban having warned that they would no longer tolerate these operations beyond the August 31 deadline.

Nearly 50,000 Afghans and foreign nationals fled the country from Kabul airport after the Taliban seized power, according to the US government.

They fear the establishment of an ultra-rigorous interpretation and application of Islamic law (sharia), imposed by the Taliban when they ruled the country between 1996 and 2001.

Former government workers also fear reprisals from Islamists for their work with the former government, an ally of the United States, over the past 20 years.

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