Author: Sayed Hussain Hussainy

Civil Society and Human Rights Network Purpose: This bi-weekly report describes the updates and challenges related to the government’s relief response program, known as Dastarkhan-e-Meli, and health assistance in combating Covid-19 in Afghanistan. Time Coverage: The report covers all the measures undertaken from July 01 to July 15, 2021, by the government in Afghanistan concerning health and humanitarian assistance during the Covid-19 pandemic. Situation Overview: Covid-19 New Update: The third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic put in place tremendous health crises.  The positive cases and death toll are on the rise while health services are limited. The health institutions and hospitals are suffering from poor facilities and mismanagement, undermining the efforts to mitigate the effects of the pandemic across the provinces. The graph below shows the rising Covid-19 positive tests and loses during the first half of June 2021 across Afghanistan. However, due to lack of data and documentation, the actual number is expected to be much higher. Amidst the third wave of the pandemic, people in most provinces are suffering from poor health services. In the meanwhile, the COVID-19 hospitals across the provinces provide insufficient and poor health services. In several provinces, including Balkh, Herat, Kabul, Jawzjan, Ghor, people are suffering from lack of oxygen. Likewise, the price of oxygen increased several times higher than the normal price before. For example, one balloon of 40 Kg oxygen is between 2000 AFNs to 5000 AFN while the same balloon was previously available for 500 AFNs only. Poor individuals tested positive are not able to afford oxygen balloons, putting them at high risk of health crisis. Challenges in implementation of Datarkhan-e-Melli:  In most provinces, the Dastarkhan-e-Meli program has been suspended due to both lack of budget and growing insecurity as most districts have recently fallen under the control of…

Civil Society and Human Rights Network Purpose: This bi-weekly report describes the updates and challenges related to the government’s relief response program, known as Dastarkhan-e-Meli, and health assistance in combating Covid-19 in Afghanistan. Time Coverage: The report covers all the measures undertaken from June 01 to June 15, 2021, by the government in Afghanistan concerning health and humanitarian assistance during the Covid-19 pandemic. Situation Overview: Covid-19 New Update: The third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic put in place tremendous health crises.  The positive cases and death toll are on the rise while health services are limited. The health institutions and hospitals are suffering from poor facilities and mismanagement, undermining the efforts to mitigate the effects of the pandemic across the provinces. The graph below shows the rising Covid-19 positive tests and loses during the first half of June 2021 across Afghanistan. However, due to lack of data and documentation, the actual number is expected to be much higher. Amidst the third wave of the pandemic, people in most provinces are suffering from poor health services. According to CSHRN’s findings, residents in Paktia, Bamyan, Takhar, and Ghor provinces have limited access to oxygen, face poor health sanitation, and inadequate medical workers across Covid-19 hospitals. For example, in Covid-19 hospitals in Bamyan province, there are only 10 nurses, 10 vaccinators, and 20 beds available for patients, which cannot meet the growing needs of the people. CSHRN’s focal point in Bamyan communicated the problem with the provincial authorities, as a result of which 20 more beds were provided to the hospitals. In Ghor province, people face with lack of oxygen, and inadequate health staff across the Covid-19 hospital in this province. On February 5, 2021, the Covid-19 hospital in Ghor province got fire and a large part of its health facilities…

Civil Society and Human Rights Network Purpose: This bi-weekly report describes the updates and challenges related to the government’s relief response program, known as Dastarkhan-e-Meli, and health assistance in combating Covid-19 in Afghanistan.Time Coverage: The report covers all the measures undertaken from May 01, 2021 to May 15, 2021, by the government in Afghanistan concerning health and humanitarian assistance during the Covid-19 pandemic.Situation Overview: Covid-19 New Update:During this period, the official report indicates a sharp increase in the number of positive cases, recoveries, and deaths. Due to a weak health system and mismanagement, however, more people prefer home-based treatment. As a result, it has made it difficult to track the exact numbers of positive cases.During the reporting period, almost all provinces have received the Covid-19 vaccines. So far, mostly the government employees, including teachers, doctors, NGOs’ employees, security forces, and common public have been vaccinated. However, concerns are still in place as many people across the country avoid being vaccinated for the Covid-19 due to is alleged side-effects. And Yet, the government has failed to raise public awareness on its safety.In Paktia province, the Taliban is considered a major obstacle on the way to Covid-19 vaccination as the group has closed 16 vaccination centers out of the total 21.In the western Herat province, concerns are growing over the influx of returnees from Iran with a daily number of around 2000 to 3000 in a day. As Iran is still the hotspot of Covid-19, the refugees returning to Afghanistan have increased the concerns over the spread of the virus in western provinces such as Herat and Nimruz as the latter province is suffering from lack of vaccinators as well.Also, Laghman province is suffering from lack of laboratory to test the Covid-19 samples as the are sent to Nangarhar province…

Civil Society and Human Rights Network Purpose: This bi-weekly report describes the updates and challenges related to the government’s relief response program, known as Dastarkhan-e-Meli, and health assistance in combating Covid-19 in Afghanistan.Time Coverage: The report covers all the measures undertaken from April 16, 2021 to April 30, 2021, by the government in Afghanistan concerning health and humanitarian assistance during the Covid-19 pandemic.Situation Overview: Covid-19 New Update:During this period, the official report indicates a sharp increase in the number of positive cases, recoveries, and deaths. Due to a weak health system and mismanagement, however, more people prefer home-based treatment. As a result, it has made it difficult to track the exact numbers of positive cases.During the reporting period, almost all provinces have received the Covid-19 vaccines. So far, mostly the government employees, including teachers, doctors, NGOs’ employees, security forces, and common public have been vaccinated. However, the implementation still faces rumors about the side effects of the vaccines. For example, in Paktia, Ghor, Logar, and Bamiyan provinces, the public have shown little interest to be vaccinated due to the reason mentioned above.Therefore, to encourage all to be vaccinated, the government should start and extend public awareness campaign on the needs of the vaccine and its safety.As the graph above shows a sharp increase in the number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 across the country, most Covid-19 health centers across the provinces are either understaff or have poor health services. In April 24, 2021, in Takhar province, all 84 available clinics were closed as health workers in those clinics protested because they had not been paid for several months. In addition, Herat province, bordering with Iran, is at the frontline of the pandemic and is suffering from lack of health staff across the Covid-19 hospitals. Finally, doctors across the…

Civil Society and Human Rights Network Purpose: This bi-weekly report describes the updates and challenges related to the government’s relief response program, known as Dastarkhan-e-Meli, and health assistance in combating Covid-19 in Afghanistan.Time Coverage: The report covers all the measures undertaken from April 1, 2021 to April 15, 2021, by the government in Afghanistan concerning health and humanitarian assistance during the Covid-19 pandemic.Situation Overview: Covid-19 New Update:During this period, the official report indicates several new positive tests, recoveries, and deaths. Due to a weak health system and mismanagement, however, more people prefer home-based treatment. As a result, it has made it difficult to track the exact numbers of positive cases.During the reporting period, almost all provinces have received the Covid-19 vaccines. So far, mostly the government employees, including teachers, doctors, and security forces have been vaccinated. However, the implementation still faces rumors about the side effects of the vaccines. For example, in Nimroz, Logar, and Bamiyan provinces, the public have shown little interest to be vaccinated due to the reason mentioned above.Challenges in implementation of Datarkhan-e-Melli: During the reporting period, security threats have been considered a key challenge to implement Dastarkhan-e-Melli program. The provinces such as Ghor, Logar, Jowzjan, Laghman, Paktia, and Helmand are identified with high risks posed by the Taliban.Bamiyan province:As per CHRN’s previous concern over the exclusion of displaced people from the neithboring Maidan Wardak province to Bamiyan, during this reporting period, around 200 displaced families from Wardak province, now based in Bamiyan, have received food packages. However, concerns over bad quality of food items and mismanagement are still in place. For example, bean and soap have been removed from the distribution list.Ghor province:Dastarkhane Melli program is in progress in the district of Lal-sarjangal, in which 125 development councils have newly received funds from the…

Civil Society and Human Rights Network Purpose: This bi-weekly report describes the updates and challenges related to the government’s relief response program, known as Dastarkhan-e-Meli, and health assistance in combating Covid-19 in Afghanistan.Time Coverage: The report covers all the measures undertaken from March 16 to March 31, 2021, by the government in Afghanistan concerning health and humanitarian assistance during the Covid-19 pandemic.Situation Overview: Covid-19 New Update:During this period, the official report indicates several new positive tests, recoveries, and deaths. Due to a weak health system and mismanagement, however, more people prefer home-based treatment. As a result, it has made it difficult to track the exact numbers of positive cases.Following the conduct of Covid-19 vaccines in Afghanistan, concerns are mounting over the safety of the Covid-19 doses which has discouraged the population to test. The first unconfirmed case was reported from Bamiyan in which a medical worker died shortly after testing the Indian donated Covid-19 vaccine. It is not yet clear whether or not the Indian AstraZeneca’s donated vaccine has caused the death. To address the public concerns, the government needs to enhance awareness and to ensure the safety of the vaccines.Challenges in implementation of Datarkhan-e-Melli: Bamiyan province:Following the Dastarkhan-e-Melli program, the reports confirmed serious mismanagement and lack of transparency in aid distribution to the needy families in Bamiyan province. According to CSHRN’s focal point in Bamiyan, Dastarkhan-e-Melli program is undermined by the following problems in Bamiyan:Low quality food packages have been distributed to the families covered by the program. Based on findings, the food packages assisted had low quality such as bitter flour, burnt beans, spoiled rice and cooking oil.Food packages have been distributed to families associated to Mr. Ansari’s relatives, who is currently advisor to the Second Vice-President.The distribution lists include individuals who, according to report, passed…

Civil Society and Human Rights Network Purpose: This bi-weekly report describes the updates and challenges related to the government’s relief response program, known as Dastarkhan-e-Meli, and health assistance in combating Covid-19 in Afghanistan.Time Coverage: The report covers all the measures undertaken from March 01 to March 15, 2021, by the government in Afghanistan concerning health and humanitarian assistance during the Covid-19 pandemic.Situation Overview: Covid-19 New Update:During this period, the official report indicates several new positive tests, recoveries, and deaths. Due to a weak health system and mismanagement, however, more people prefer home-based treatment. As a result, it has made it difficult to track the exact numbers of positive cases.In February 2021, Afghanistan received around 500,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccines to contain further spread of the pandemic across the country. Before long, the doses have been distributed to several provinces such as Laghman received 5300 doses, Helmand 20,000, Logar 5695, Jowzjan 6170, Paktia 12370, Herat 28880, Bamiyan 2890, Balkh 12500, and Nangarhar 24620 doses. Following the shipment of Indian Covid-19 vaccines to Afghanistan, on March 8, 2021, the country received the second shipment of 468,000 doses of the COVISHIELD Covid-19 vaccines. However, unconfirmed reports from Bamiyan stated that a medical worker died shortly after testing the Covid-19 vaccine. It is not yet clear whether or not the Indian AstraZeneca’s donated vaccine has caused the death.Challenges in implementation of Datarkhan-e-Melli: Bamiyan province:Following the Dastarkhan-e-Melli program, the reports confirmed serious mismanagement and lack of transparency in aid distribution to the needy families in Bamiyan province. According to CSHRN’s focal point in Bamiyan, the internally displaced people from Lal-Sarjangal and Yakawlang districts to the central province have been denied to receive aid packages. In addition, those families who took refuge in Bamiyan following the ongoing armed conflict in the neighboring Wardak province,…