Afghanistan is staring at a healthcare crisis as most medical facilities in the country are headed for closure with finance from Western donors drying up after the Taliban seized power in a lightning military campaign.

Around 90% of 2,300 health facilities across the country might have to close as soon as this week, the WHO’s regional emergency director, Rick Brennan, told Reuters in an interview.

Many Western donors come under regulations which prevent them from dealing with the Taliban, he explained.

"We are going to have a pause in operations in a large proportion of those (health facilities). By some estimates up to 90% will cease functioning probably later in the week and that will be associated with increased illness and death," Reuters cited Brennan as saying.

The WHO was trying to  fill the gap by providing supplies, equipment and finance to 500 of the health centres, he said.

The UN agency was also in touch with Qatar for medical deliveries to be airlifted to Kabul as the airport has started functioning for aid flights.

Along with other aid agencies, the WHO has also been facing problems in bringing in medical supplies as there was complete chaos at Kabul airport during the 15-day evacuation that was taking place in which over 120,000 people were flown out of Kabul. 

At present medical supplies continue to be flown in via the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif and the WHO is exploring overland options via trucks from Pakistan, Brennan said.

A Qatari team has reopened Kabul airport for aid flights. Ariana Afghan Airlines claims it has also resumed some domestic flights between Kabul and three major provincial cities which would be of help in quickly moving crucial medical supplies. 

Flights from Kabul to Mazar-i-Sharif in the north, Kandahar in the south and Herat in the western part of Afghanistan have started, the airline said in a statement on its Facebook page.

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