ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has dispatched another batch of medical supplies to Afghanistan to help its war-torn neighbor in its fight against COVID-19.
“Pakistan stands with Afghanistan in it’s fight against Corona. Hope and pray both our countries are free of virus as soon as possible,” Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq said in a Twitter post on Saturday night.
Afghanistan is battling a crippling third wave of infections, with a steady surge in new cases reported in recent weeks, putting intense strain on a country where millions already live in poverty and health resources are scarce.
On Saturday, it registered 1,272 new cases, taking the total tally to 124,757 infections and 5,199 deaths since the pandemic began last year, though the numbers are believed to be widely underreported.
Last month, Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) sent a batch of COVID-19 safety and treatment supplies to Afghanistan, including oxygen gas cylinders, ICU ventilators, digital x-ray machines, Personal Protection Equipment kits and thermal guns.
On June 13, Pakistan’s embassy in Kabul suspended its consular services after a spike in COVID-19 cases and the “deteriorating” state of the pandemic across Afghanistan.
Last month, Amnesty International called on the Afghan government to “immediately address” the shortage of oxygen at hospitals.
“Procure adequate COVID-19 vaccines and other essential medical supplies with support from the international community,” it said in a statement on June 11, adding that the recent spike in cases was a matter of “grave concern.”
“It’s clear that the country has been hit by the third wave of COVID-19, and without urgent international support to contain this surge, the situation could quickly spiral out of control, with existing shortages of life-saving supplies posing serious challenges,” the statement said.
