Healthcare crisis deepens in Pakistan’s Kurram, several children reported dead

At least 29 children have lost their lives in Pakistan’s Kurram district due to a severe shortage of medicines and healthcare services, exacerbated by prolonged road closures, as reported by The News International.

Further, the medical superintendent of District Headquarters Hospital Parachinar, Syed Mir Hassan Jan, said that since October 1, the hospital has been unable to provide adequate treatment due to a lack of medicines and basic facilities.

In addition to the 29 child fatalities, several other patients have died due to the unavailability of surgical services, raising alarming concerns about a potential healthcare crisis in the region.

The hospital did receive a partial supply of medicines from the Health Directorate in Peshawar, but the quantity was insufficient to meet the overwhelming demand, as per The News International.

The ongoing clashes in the area have severely depleted stockpiles of medicines and surgical supplies, while the closure of key roads has further worsened the situation. The Thall-Parachinar Road, which has been blocked for 69 days, has disrupted the delivery of essential supplies, leaving the hospital without critical resources.

Beyond the healthcare crisis, the continued blockade of the Thall-Parachinar Road has also cut off access to food, fuel, cooking gas, and other necessities, plunging the local population into severe hardship.

The further sealing of the Afghan border has intensified these shortages, leaving residents in a state of deep desperation. Social activist Asadullah has warned that, without immediate intervention, the region could face a large-scale humanitarian disaster. He emphasized the urgent need to reopen the roads and provide essential food aid to affected communities.

According to reports, local authorities are making efforts to resolve the crisis through dialogue, with plans to reconvene a grand jirga that had been postponed in Kohat to discuss reopening the main highways and addressing the emergency.

However, time is running out, and without swift action, the region could face even more devastating consequences.