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 United States Congress has warned.
The report, released by Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) John Sopko late on Thursday, could heighten concerns among US officials and legislators that the pandemic threatens to derail stalled US-led peace efforts.
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The spread of COVID-19 has already significantly affected 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 healthcare 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.
Men wait to receive free food donated by the Afghan government, amid the spread of the COVID-19 in Jalalabad [Parwiz/Reuters]
Rising food prices in the impoverished country will likely worsen the crisis, Sopko said in a letter accompanying the report.
As the pandemic has spread, Washington has pressed the Taliban and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to free thousands of at-risk rebels and government prisoners as a precursor to peace talks originally set to begin on March 10.
Differences over prisoner release
Kabul, however, was not a party to a February 29 US troops withdrawal deal between the Taliban and Washington that called for the releases.
Differences over the pace and numbers of prisoners to be freed have helped stall the peace effort, which could suffer a major blow if many prisoners were to die.
Afghanistan has confirmed nearly 2,200 coronavirus cases and 64 deaths, according to local news reports quoting the Health Ministry.
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.
The coalition, it said, explained that the data is “now a critical part” of internal US government deliberations on negotiations with the Taliban, which has escalated attacks on Afghan security forces since the February 29 deal.
The Pentagon added that the release of the data could resume once those deliberations end, the report said.
