Coronavirus: A hidden catastrophe in Afghanistan

In Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, hundreds of people crowd in front of a private clinic and try to push their way toward the entrance. Many of them are infected with COVID-19 and are wearing masks. They are looking for a coronavirus miracle cure produced by a self-proclaimed "healer." 

The healer's homebrewed concoction is supposed to cure anyone infected within three hours, something that is medically impossible according to SARS-CoV-2 research being conducted so far.

One man traveled to Kabul from Jalalabad in eastern Afghanistan to visit the healer's clinic. "The government can't help us, this is the only way," he said, adding that he thinks the entire city of Jalalabad is infected with COVID-19.

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The Afghan government is distancing itself from claims that there is a coronavirus vaccine or cure in Afghanistan. On May 31, the Afghan Ministry of Health warned against taking homemade medicine for coronavirus.

"A vaccine cannot be made by someone at home, rather it is a long and difficult process. Even if a substance can actually be used as a vaccine, it still needs to be tested scientifically to assess possible side effects," the ministry's spokesman Waheed Majrooh, told a press conference.

According to the Health Ministry, as of Wednesday, Afghanistan has more than 17,000 COVID-19 infections, and that number rose by 758 in the 24-hour period from Tuesday. However, many experts estimate that the number of unreported cases is much higher, as many people cannot afford testing.

Poverty meets pandemic

"The situation is getting worse," said Nadia Nashir, chairwoman of the Afghan Women's Association, adding that many of her employees are infected and she does not trust the official numbers.

"We have approximately 140 employees in three provinces in Afghanistan. Almost all of them and their families have been infected, and that has been increasing over the past few days. Many of them exhibit severe symptoms, and some family members, including young people, have died. Our employees are desperate," she told DW.

Internally displaced people in Afghanistan are particularly affected by the pandemic, said Nashiri. Many live in crowded camps on the outskirts of cities in unhygienic conditions and without access to healthcare.

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Afghanistan is a very poor country, with more than half of Afghans living with less than $1 (€0.89) a day, according to a 2019 Gallup study. And the pandemic has only made things worse by driving up the price of food and putting people out of work.

"We are afraid that many people will die primarily from hunger," said Nashir. Organizations like hers have tried to deliver aid packages to refugee camps, however they can only make limited shipments.

"Countries like Afghanistan desperately need support. The healthcare system is not in any condition to provide adequate care, there aren't enough tests, and the ones available are not reliable."

The Afghan government has so far been unable to contain the danger of COVID-19 in the country. And despite assurances of financial support from the international community, there are not enough testing kits and medical equipment to treat everyone.

The ongoing internal conflict between the government and Taliban militants also makes the pandemic impossible to control. More than half the districts in Afghanistan are controlled by the militant group, and hardly any tests are available in these regions.

Healthcare in disarray

Even before the coronavirus pandemic, the World Health Organization rated Afghanistan's healthcare system as one of the worst in the world. The pandemic has pushed the system into disarray.

For example, in a hospital built specifically for the pandemic in the western province of Herat, which borders Iran, doctors temporarily stopped working out of protest, as they had not been paid for months.

The government also failed to spread awareness about the pandemic and enforce lockdown orders. Even Afghan Health Minister Ferozuddin Feroz announced a few weeks ago that he was infected with COVID-19. He has since been replaced.

Additionally, a police chief and a district governor in the northern province of Kunduz died of COVID-19. "There are hardly any tests and they have to be sent to the capital for the results," said Amruddin Wali, a member of the provincial council in Kunduz. "This means that many do not even know whether they have been infected and the disease is spreading faster."

He fears that the situation will further worsen. "If the government does not act soon, I fear that we will have similar conditions here as in China or Iran."

Additional reporting by Parwaneh Alizadah.