(Reuters) – The World Health Organisation’s representative to Afghanistan called on the international community on Thursday to resume funding of the war-torn country’s health program which was suspended when the Taliban took over governing the country, as the healthcare system had plunged into crisis.

Many international donors are facing a dilemma as they are reluctant to support the Taliban-led government. Some of their members are listed on the international sanctions list. However, the fear is that this country will spiral towards humanitarian disaster.

Luo Dapeng (WHO’s representative in Afghanistan), stated that access to healthcare has declined significantly over the past weeks for some of Afghanistan’s most vulnerable citizens. He spoke at a Geneva press conference.

He said that the country’s fragile health system was overwhelmed and they are working with donors to identify alternative funding sources for facilities.

Although international governments have promised millions in emergency humanitarian aid, there are still questions about longer-term funding and how to finance an economy heavily dependent upon international assistance. Also, frozen assets of the central banks outside Afghanistan have been worth millions of dollars.

A three-year, roughly $600million World Bank health project in Afghanistan funded hundreds of health facilities. WHO has estimated that less than one fifth of them are fully operational. Dapeng stated that this has resulted in an increase of cases of diarrhoea and measles, half the Afghan population at high risk of malnutrition, as well as millions of COVID-19 shots remaining unused.