Edit... Mona Ismail

Martin Griffith, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, announced the launch of $45 million in life-saving support from the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund to help prevent the health-care system in Afghanistan from collapsing.

The statement issued by the United Nations today, Wednesday, warned that allowing the health-care system to collapse in Afghanistan would have catastrophic repercussions, particularly as medicines, medical supplies and fuel were being implemented, cold chains were at risk and essential health-care workers were not paid.

The statement suggested that the lack of rapid support would mean that Afghans throughout the country were denied access to primary health care such as Caesarean section, trauma care and others.

Funding would go to WHO and UNICEF to work through non-governmental and international organizations to maintain health-care facilities in Afghanistan, including hospitals treating corona patients, until the end of the year.