Officials from the Nangarhar Public Health Directorate report that 700 children, or more than three children per day, have died in Jalalabad Hospital over the past six months.
In an interview with BBC News, officials stated that malnutrition and certain preventable diseases are the main causes of the increase in child mortality.
The BBC News report highlights that approximately 3.2 million children in Afghanistan are suffering from malnutrition.
It further notes that if Jalalabad Hospital had not received additional assistance from the World Bank and UNICEF, the death toll could have been significantly higher.
The report continues by mentioning that until August 2021, international aid provided to the former Afghan government covered nearly all health facilities in Afghanistan. However, with the rise of the current government and due to sanctions, this aid was halted, leading to the collapse of Afghanistan’s health system.
Hamidullah Fatrat, deputy spokesman for the interim government, told BBC News: “We inherited the problems of poverty and malnutrition, which have been exacerbated by natural disasters like floods and climate change. The international community must increase humanitarian aid and should not link it to political and internal issues.”
It also states that only one out of every five children in need of hospital treatment can receive it at Jalalabad Hospital. The hospital serves residents from five neighboring provinces.
This situation is compounded by the fact that over 700,000 Afghan refugees who were forcibly expelled from Pakistan since late last year have settled in Nangarhar province, further increasing pressure on Jalalabad Central Hospital.
Stunted Growth in Children
Additionally, a report published by BBC News on Monday points to “evidence of alarming statistics.” It states that “45 percent of children under five years old in Afghanistan are stunted, shorter than they should be.”
The report mentions a two-year-old girl named Rubina, who cannot stand on her feet due to severe stunting.
UNICEF warns that stunting can cause severe physical and cognitive damage, with effects that may last a lifetime and even impact future generations.
