The death rate of children affected with malnutrition, and level of children patients being brought to hospitals, has surged as the health sector faces severe shortages of medical supplies, officials said.  

Officials at the Indira Gandhi Children's Hospital said that the number of malnourished children has recently jumped by 50 percent.  

“The number of patients has increased recently. Our work is being affected as the number of patients is overwhelming, and the death rate among the children has also increased. If it there is no solution found for the problem, we will face a complete shortage of equipment,” said Farid Ahmad Andishmand, a doctor.  

The head of Indira Gandhi Children Hospital, Mohammad Latif Bahir, expressed concern over the suspension of aid to the health sector. 

“The number of our patients has increased compared to previous weeks. We are facing an overwhelming number of patients and we can only check on emergency patients and deny other patients,” he said.  

Zubaida, a mother of a child who is malnourished, said that her husband became jobless after the former government fell to the Islamic Emirate.  

“My child has been hospitalized for nine days. We are not in a good economic condition to feed our children well. I am worried about the rest of my children that they may also be affected by this disease,” she said.