Volatile Afghan situation leaves many people fearful about future

Rising prices, precarious job security for day labourers, difficult access to health care and critical levels of insecurity are all taking a toll on ordinary people’s lives in Afghanistan, especially in rural areas. According to a press release issued by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Afghan civilians still pay the price of conflict which started ten years ago. The ICRC has brought emergency assistance to thousands of people fleeing conflict in their villages in recent months, far more than last year. Access to health care remains difficult in many rural areas. Easily preventable diseases, such as measles, are on the rise as routine vaccination programs are disrupted by conflict. The ICRC provides medicines and medical support to Sheberghan Hospital in the north and Mirwais Regional Hospital in the south. It also provides technical and financial support and medicines to 46 Afghan Red Crescent clinics, and to community-based first-aid volunteers who deliver health care to people in conflict-affected areas. In addition, the ICRC runs four first-aid posts, one in the west and three in the south. During July and August, Mirwais and Sheberghan Hospitals admitted almost 6,400 inpatients and held nearly 31,000 outpatient consultations between them. More than 1,700 surgical operations were performed in the two hospitals. In addition, the ICRC delivered medical supplies to the front lines to treat people injured in the fighting, provided first-aid training for 168 combatants, doctors, police and community-based first-aid volunteers, made monthly deliveries of drugs and other items to three health-care clinics in the south and east. The ICRC runs seven prosthetic/orthotic centres which provide rehabilitation services for amputees and others with disabilities. IT also run a home-care service offering medical, economic and social support for paraplegic. The ICRC has been providing these services in Afghanistan for over 20 years.