The malnutrition treatment center in Kabul faces closure due to cuts in US aid, significantly impacting child healthcare. Estimates suggest high mortality risks for untreated malnourished children, as approximately 3.5 million face acute malnutrition. The staff cuts have disproportionately affected women and threaten the operational capacity of organizations dedicated to addressing this crisis.
In Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, a malnutrition treatment facility faces dire circumstances as US aid cuts lead to patient turnaways and layoffs of medical staff. The facility, reliant on American funding, ceased operations as the US, previously the predominant aid donor, suspended all foreign assistance. Cobi Rietveld, country director of the non-governmental organization Action Against Hunger (ACF), stated, “If they don’t get treatment, there’s an extreme high risk of dying.”
With the facility closed since March, the essential resources such as toys and pharmaceuticals were withdrawn after the last patient departed. Chief doctor Farid Ahmad Barakzai remarked on the challenges of redirecting patients to other facilities that lack appropriate treatment. After years of conflict, Afghanistan is grappling with a grave humanitarian crisis, as classified by the UN, where only Sudan surpasses it in severity.
On average, the clinic treated 65 children monthly suffering from complications of severe acute malnutrition. These vulnerable children alongside their mothers receive critical care to combat illness. Rietveld emphasized the heightened risk of death from infections affecting malnourished children, describing the situation as painful for healthcare staff who must send patients to facilities lacking specialized care.
The crisis in child malnutrition is exacerbated by the staggering statistic that 45 percent of Afghanistan’s population is under 14 years old, with 3.5 million children under five affected by acute malnutrition. Additionally, 15 million Afghans experience food insecurity, with 3.1 million nearing famine. The World Food Programme recently confirmed the US’s withdrawal from funding efforts in Afghanistan, demonstrating the country’s ongoing turmoil.
Edwin Ceniza Salvador, a representative from the World Health Organization, stated, “So with a fragile system, even basic care of screening, those are even not there,” emphasizing that vulnerable populations are disproportionately affected. The funding reduction resulted in mass layoffs, affecting 150 of ACF’s 900 staff members.
Rietveld expressed concern over losing capable workers, notably women, who comprised a significant portion of ACF’s staff and face restrictions by the Taliban, rendering many unable to secure employment. Nurse Wazhma Noorzai lamented that the health center was often the only available job for women, stating, “Now, we are losing even that.” In response to the funding crisis, ACF is seeking proposals and negotiating with other donors, although Rietveld expressed doubt regarding their ability to bridge the financial gap.
The malnutrition treatment center in Kabul exemplifies the severe challenges faced in Afghanistan following cuts in US aid. The devastating effects on child health, particularly malnutrition, indicate a looming humanitarian catastrophe. With significant layoffs in the healthcare sector and restrictions on women’s employment, the situation poses a risk not only to immediate patient care but also to long-term recovery efforts. Advocacy and support for continued funding and care are imperative to avert a further deepening of the crisis.
Original Source: www.rfi.fr
