Malnutrition in Afghanistan: Five babies die in two weeks
All names have been changed in this post.
The young woman was crying in front of the doctor and begging that she and her baby be killed. Dr. Noori, an Afghan gynecologist, was about to deliver a woman through C-section when she lost patience.
According to Dr. Noori, the woman said, "I don't know how I can survive. How can I give birth to another human being? '
The women in Dr. Noori's ward are so malnourished that they know that they do not even have access to breast milk to feed their children.
Dr Noori says there is so much rush in the wards that they have to flee from pregnant mothers between bloody walls and dirty sheets to reach the labor room.
Many of the cleaning staff left the hospital months ago because they were tired of working without pay.
The maternity ward of the hospital is so crowded that sometimes there are several women in one bed. Girls' clinics have closed and three times as many women are coming to Afghanistan's main hospital as usual.
"The maternity ward is the happiest ward of any hospital, but not in Afghanistan," says Dr. Noori.
In September, she says, she saw five newborns starve to death in just two weeks.
"It's like hell."
Afghanistan was already plagued by severe drought and decades of conflict, but the Taliban's occupation led the country further to economic ruin.
International aid, which has supported Afghanistan's economy and its healthcare system for decades, stalled in August.
Western donors have raised concerns about money laundering through the Taliban government, which denies women and girls basic rights and threatens harsh Sharia law.
Afghanistan is facing its worst hunger crisis, according to the latest UN figures. About 14 million children are expected to be severely malnourished this winter.
Hospitals treating hungry people across the country are on the brink of collapse and about 2,300 healthcare centers are already closed.
According to doctors in remote areas, they are unable to provide basic medicine to the people.
The worst conditions are being witnessed at a major children's hospital in the capital, Kabul. The hospital is currently operating at 150% capacity.
Hospital director Dr Siddiqui saw an increase in deaths in September after funding cuts, when four children under the age of 10 died each week from malnutrition or related diseases, such as food poisoning. Went into the mouth.
He says young people are the biggest victims of the crisis. Children under the age of five arrive at the hospital so late that it is impossible to save them.
"These children are dying before they are admitted to the hospital," he said. We have lost so many children. "
And there are very few resources available to help those who arrive on time. The hospital is facing severe shortage of food and medicine. Even patients have to struggle to protect themselves from the cold.
If there is no fuel available to keep the hospital warm, Dr. Siddiqui asks his staff to collect dry tree twigs so that the fire can be lit.
"But when the tree branches are gone, we are worried about next month and beyond."
Power outage in Dr Noori's maternity ward is proving fatal. She says many premature babies die in incubators.
It's very Sad to See them die Before our Very eyes.
Whenever There is an operation in the Hospital I tell people to hurry She said. It's very disturbing. "
Despite being forced to work in such difficult conditions, most of the health care workers are not being paid at the moment.
Dr Rahmani, director of a hospital in Herat province that treats Corona patients, showed the BBC an October 30 letter from the Taliban's Ministry of Health urging hospital staff to work without pay until they receive funding. Was said.
On Tuesday, Dr. Rahmani confirmed that he had to close the hospital because he had not received the funds. The pictures show patients being taken out of the hospital on stretchers, but it is not clear what will happen to them now.
Another nearby hospital specializing in the treatment of drug addicts is also struggling to provide adequate care for its patients.
"There are patients who have to be chained to beds or there are patients who have to be handcuffed," said Dr Nowruz, the hospital's director. It's very difficult for us to take care of them. "
"Without proper care, our hospital is like a prison for these patients," he added.
The hospital is also on the verge of closing due to shortage of staff and if it closes, Dr. Nowruz is worried about what will happen to these patients in the coming severe cold.
"They have no place to live," he says. They usually live under bridges, in ruins and cemeteries in places that are unbearable for humans.
The Taliban-appointed health minister, Dr Qalandar Ibad, told BBC Farsi in November that the government was working with the international community to re-launch relief efforts.
Charities, however, suspect that their donations will not be used for the right purposes.
On November 10, for the first time since the Taliban government came to power, the United Nations was able to provide 15million halp in direct aid to Afghanistan's healthcare system. About ً 8 million was used to pay the salaries of health workers.
Many other international donors are also hoping to follow the UN, but time is running out.
soon We will have No Drinking water Says Dr. Noori.
Due to severe weather conditions, aid routes from countries like Pakistan and India will soon be restricted.
"Every time women leave our hospital with their children, I think about them," says Dr. Noori. They have no money, they can't buy anything to eat. "
Dr. Noori says that her own family is also going through a very difficult time. "Even being a doctor, I don't have enough food. I can't afford it and all my savings are gone. "
"I don't know why I still come to work. I ask myself this question every morning but maybe the reason is that I'm still optimistic about the future. "