Coronavirus in Afghanistan: The pandemic hasnt stopped the government and the Taliban from fighting – Vox.com
The Taliban in Afghanistan signed a peace agreement with the United States on February 29 and stopped attacking American forces there.
But theres no peace agreement between the Taliban and the Afghan government which means fighting between the two has continued unabated, even amid the coronavirus pandemic.
On March 20, Taliban fighters attacked an outpost in Zabul province and killed at least 24 Afghan soldiers, which caused outrage across the country. One day later, an Afghan government airstrike in Kunduz province killed 13 civilians, including 10 children. Two weeks ago, Afghan troops killed or wounded at least nine Taliban insurgents in Jawzjan province.
This is wrong, and it needs to stop. Especially now, said Dr. Sayed Shah, a medic from Afghanistans Baghlan province. Shahs concerns are shared by many Afghans who are frustrated that the Taliban and the Afghan National Army are continuing to fight while the coronavirus spreads across the country.
As of April 15, Afghanistan has reported 784 Covid-19 cases and 26 deaths, but observers and medics on the ground believe the real number of infections could be much higher. A majority of the infected people are from Herat province, which shares a border with Iran, a country that has been hit heavily by the pandemic.
Overall, there is a shortage of coronavirus tests and ventilators in the country. The World Health Organization (WHO) has provided Afghanistan 1,500 testing kits, yet only two laboratories in the country are equipped with machines that can process test samples. And according to the Ministry of Public Health, Afghanistan only has 300 ventilators for the entire country.
International observers have urged both the Afghan government and the Taliban to immediately stop fighting and start working with the United Nations and aid agencies to improve access to health care to save as many lives as possible.
Unfortunately, it seems both parties are unwilling to cooperate. And theyre not the only ones: The Afghan government itself is divided, with two rival politicians both claiming to be the legitimate president of Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, the coronavirus continues to spread.
Every day, 50 to 100 patients visit Shahs small medical office. We try testing everyone who was in Herat or who used to have contact with people from there. We are also focusing on people with general symptoms, Shah said.
He described how he and other medics were taking samples of suspected infected patients and sending them to the capital, Kabul. But in part because of the ongoing fighting thats a very toilsome procedure, he told Vox.
The route to Kabul takes at least four hours just because of the distance, and includes passing through the mountainous Salang Pass with its decades-old roads. But often, even travel within Baghlan itself is virtually impossible because of the almost daily skirmishes between insurgents and security forces.
Baghlan always used to be a violence hot spot, but these days its totally unbearable. They [soldiers and insurgents] should lay down their arms and work as health workers to save lives, Mohammad Shahzad, a local merchant, told me.
On at least one occasion recently, power in the region was cut off due to clashes between Taliban fighters and Afghan soldiers in Baghlan. They endanger the lives of patients. It was not just us who lost power. Large parts of the country were affected, Shah said.
The Taliban denied that their operations caused the power outage and claimed instead that a power pole was damaged because of weather circumstances.
Attacks by government forces are escalating too. A recent airstrike killed two children in Baghlans Chashm-e Sher region and wounded several other civilians.
All of this is going on while physicians like Shah struggle to get the basic supplies they need to test and treat their patients. I dont have any tools to test anyone. Many local medics all over Afghanistan are in the same situation. We dont have a simple laboratory for tests, Shah said. Lets be realistic. We are not prepared for this crisis.
To be fair, few if any countries were adequately prepared to deal with this pandemic. But Afghanistans political situation made it even less prepared than most.
Incumbent President Ashraf Ghani and CEO Abdullah Abdullah both declared themselves the winners of the countrys presidential election in October 2019, and both conducted separate inauguration ceremonies last month. Several politicians and strongmen are reportedly busy trying to resolve the differences between Ghani and Abdullah, but no official word has been released.
Its not the first time this has happened: After the 2014 presidential elections, Abdullah disputed the results showing that Ghani had won and refused to concede. Fearing the collapse of the political system and the outbreak of violence, then-Secretary of State John Kerry negotiated a compromise: Ghani was declared president, while Abdullah was given the newly created position of CEO, a pro forma head of government position that does not actually exist in Afghanistans constitution.
But coming amid the coronavirus pandemic, the timing of the political chaos this time around couldnt be worse. Rather than working together to prevent the spread of Covid-19, Ghani and Abdullah are vying for power, each trying to depict himself as the countrys savior, the one best prepared to lead the fight against the virus.
President Ghani and his cabinet members appear with masks and gloves from time to time and have stopped hugging each other when greeting. They also mentioned the virus in several speeches and statements and called on the people to take the disease seriously.
In reality, though, neither camp is succeeding in providing an adequate response to the crisis. Additionally, the US government said it was cutting $1 billion in aid to Afghanistan this year, and potentially another $1 billion in 2021, after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo failed to persuade Ghani and Abdullah in a meeting in Kabul in late March to support a unified government.
Meanwhile, the Taliban has started its own anti-coronavirus campaign. In Herats Shindand district, which is largely controlled by the insurgents, a Taliban Health Commission gathered to raise public awareness and prevent the spread of the virus.
The spread of Covid-19 is an important issue for us. We have taken all measures to fight against it as strong as possible, and we also have a structured plan, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid told Vox.
He said his group has already put several people under quarantine and that Taliban fighters are traveling to remote villages via motorcycles to distribute leaflets, soap bars, and hand sanitizer. We are especially focusing on returnees from Iran and told them that they should start a self-quarantine, Mujahid said.
With the countrys leadership bitterly divided and Afghan and Taliban forces continuing their bloody civil war, Afghanistans response to the pandemic has been dysfunctional, to say the least.
The spiraling COVID-19 crisis puts millions of Afghans at risk, yet Afghan officials are consumed with infighting and the Taliban with adversarial posturing, said Patricia Gossman, associate Asia director at Human Rights Watch. The two sides need to work together with the UN and humanitarian agencies to ensure that aid reaches the whole country, or a dire situation will become catastrophic.
Two weeks ago, the Taliban declared they would uphold a ceasefire in areas under their control if they are hit by a coronavirus outbreak. The group also said they would guarantee the security of health and aid workers traveling to their areas offering assistance to prevent the spread of the virus.
And, after days of waiting, Herat has finally been put under quarantine by the government. Kabul is also facing a shutdown, and for the first time in years, many famous places like the Mandaii, the capitals historic open-air market, are almost completely empty.
Still, many Afghans are not satisfied with the reaction from either side regarding the crisis and have decided to take things into their own hands.
Some well-known Afghan singers have composed songs about Covid-19 and shared them on social media. One of them, sung by famous singer Farhad Darya, was even used by local security forces to raise awareness.
In Afghanistans southeastern province of Khost, young activists are taking the fight against the spread of the virus seriously. People, especially in remote areas, dont know anything about the virus. They have not ever heard of corona. It would end in a catastrophe if they remain uninformed, said Shah Mohammad Takal, a local activist.
In recent days, Takal and other activists have reached out to remote villages to try to inform people, many of whom are illiterate, about the dangers of Covid-19. They also printed leaflets with symbols to make the information as comprehensible as possible and spread them in villages and on the streets in the city.
These efforts seem to be having an effect, as measures have begun to ban overcrowding in public places in several provinces. In Khost, several hotels have already closed, and all types of meetings have been prohibited for the time being.
Public health officials are also trying to scan many travelers coming into the city by taking their temperatures or asking them questions about their health. Over the past several days, 8,000 masks, soap bars, and blankets have been distributed to the public in Khost.
Still, Takal said, Its just a matter of time until we record the first infection in Khost.
Western countries are struggling [to fight the virus], so you can imagine how difficult it is for Afghanistan, Takal said. But we try our best.
Emran Feroz is a freelance journalist and author and is the founder of Drone Memorial, a virtual memorial for civilian drone strike victims. Find him on Twitter @Emran_Feroz.
Mohammad Zaman is a journalist based in Khost, Afghanistan, who regularly works for Afghan media outlets and radio channels.
Support Voxs explanatory journalism
Every day at Vox, we aim to answer your most important questions and provide you, and our audience around the world, with information that has the power to save lives. Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment: to empower you through understanding. Voxs work is reaching more people than ever, but our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources particularly during a pandemic and an economic downturn. Your financial contribution will not constitute a donation, but it will enable our staff to continue to offer free articles, videos, and podcasts at the quality and volume that this moment requires. Please consider making a contribution to Vox today.
Continue reading here:
Coronavirus in Afghanistan: The pandemic hasnt stopped the government and the Taliban from fighting - Vox.com
- A future without women: Consequences of gender apartheid in Afghanistan - Global Voices - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Women This Week: Multilateral Organizations Increase Pressure on Taliban Over Oppression of Women and Girls in Afghanistan - Council on Foreign... - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Retreat from Afghanistan began as a farce, then it was a scandal, now it's a cover-up - news.sky.com - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- The Islamic State in Afghanistan: A Jihadist Threat in Retreat? - International Crisis Group - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Afghan nationals: have you arrived in the UK under the Afghanistan Response Route? - The Guardian - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Teen From Afghanistan Reported Missing in Tehran Amid Surge in Migrant Hostility - KabulNow - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Afghanistan: Young woman driven to opium fields by Taliban restrictions - Amu TV - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Afghanistan: An Open Wound Still Alive, in Need of Becoming a Nation Again - 8am.media - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Remittance Disruption from Iran Deepens Economic Crisis for the People of Afghanistan - 8am.media - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Retreat from Afghanistan began as a farce, then it was a scandal, now it's a cover-up - Yahoo - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Over 178,000 People in Northern Afghanistan Benefit from Special Trust Fund Support - 8am.media - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Russia becomes the first country to recognize the Taliban regime in Afghanistan - MSN - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- Afghanistan-Pakistan trade grows to nearly 1 bln USD in H1 - Xinhua - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- Afghanistan 2024 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan: End-year Response Gap Analysis of Financing, Achievements and Response Challenges (January -... - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- Afghanistan Taxi Drivers Resort To DIY Car Coolers To Beat The Heat: Works Better Than AC - MSN - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- Afghanistan: Taxi drivers use handmade air coolers to beat the heat - BBC - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- 6-year-old girl sold into marriage with 45-year-old in Afghanistan; Taliban intervenes: Wait until shes - Times of India - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Barbie Battles Diabeetus, Angel Reese Is A Cover Athlete, And Afghanistan Is Open For Business - OutKick - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- In Cinema Jazireh, a Woman Dresses up as a Man in Taliban Afghanistan in Search of Her Son, Hope - The Hollywood Reporter - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Russia Recognizes Talibans Apartheid Regime in Afghanistan - Foreign Policy in Focus - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Shafiqa Jalali says she has a hard time sleeping, eating or going out knowing her son is incarcerated in the U.S. and is scheduled to be deported to... - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Russia Just Legitimized the TalibanWhat Comes Next for Afghanistan and the World? - Security Clearance Jobs - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Afghanistan Taxi Drivers Resort To DIY Car Coolers To Beat The Heat: Works Better Than AC - Times Now - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- 'Welcome to Afghanistan': Shocking tourism promo urging Americans to visit the country goes viral - Hindustan Times - Hindustan Times - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Trump dishes on Milley clash over leaving military equipment in Afghanistan: 'I knew he was an idiot' - Fox News - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Russia becomes the first country to recognize Taliban's rule in Afghanistan - NBC News - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Statement of the ICC Office of the Prosecutor on the issuance of arrest warrants in the Situation in Afghanistan - | International Criminal Court - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Following decades in Iran, 'there's nothing left' for millions of Afghan migrants in Afghanistan - France 24 - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- 45-year-old man in Afghanistan married a 6-year-old child: the Taliban's reaction was swift - - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Welcome to Afghanistan': This could be the most bizarre tourism video ever - Stuff - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- The Hairdressers Story: Exile, Loss, and a Forced Return to Afghanistan - 8am.media - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- ICC expresses sadness at the passing of Afghanistan umpire Bismillah Jan Shinwari - ICC - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- UN adopts resolution on Afghanistan's Taliban rule over US objections - ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- Will Pakistan Be Next to Recognise Taliban Rule in Afghanistan After Russia? - Times Now - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- Russia becomes first nation to recognize Taliban government of Afghanistan since 2021 takeover - CNN - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- India abstains from UNGA resolution on Afghanistan, calls for coordinated global efforts against terrorism - News On AIR - - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- Experts: Russia Recognizing Taliban Rule in Afghanistan Largely a Symbolic Move - The Moscow Times - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- Pakistan warns UN of escalating terror threat from Afghanistan - Dawn - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- Tourists are trickling into Afghanistan. The Taliban are eager to welcome them - The Seattle Times - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Troops kill 30 militants trying to get into Pakistan from Afghanistan - Euronews - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Trump News | 'Afghanistan Maybe The Most Embarrassing Moment In The History Of US': Donald Trump - NDTV - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Tourists are trickling into Afghanistan and the Taliban government is eager to welcome them - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Afghanistan Emerges as a New Frontier for Adventure Tourism: A Blend of Promise and Challenges - Travel And Tour World - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Afghanistan: A Hidden Gem That Deserves to Be Seen Up Close - Vocal - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Russia Becomes First Nation To Recognize Taliban-Led Afghanistan - The Media Line - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Russia is the first country to recognise the Taliban government in Afghanistan - Commonspace.eu - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Russia Becomes First State to Recognise Taliban Government of Afghanistan - UNITED24 Media - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Russia becomes first country to officially recognise Taliban in Afghanistan - bne IntelliNews - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- The Unexpected Consequences of War Between Iran and Israel on Afghanistan - The Diplomat Asia-Pacific Current Affairs Magazine - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Russia is the first country in the world to recognize the Taliban government in Afghanistan - - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Sanctioned Businessman With Kremlin Ties Returns To Afghanistan - - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Pak security forces kill 30 terrorists trying to infiltrate from Afghanistan - Deccan Herald - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Russia Becomes First Country to Recognize Afghanistans Taliban Government - The New York Times - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Russia Is First Country to Recognize Taliban Rule in Afghanistan - The Daily Beast - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Troops kill 30 militants attempting to sneak into Pakistan from Afghanistan - AP News - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Taliban praise Russias brave decision to recognise their rule in Afghanistan - The Guardian - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Russia becomes first country to recognise Afghanistan's Taliban government - France 24 - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- News - Pace Thanks Troops in Afghanistan, Notes Signs of Progress - DVIDS - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Russia becomes the first country to formally recognize Talibans latest rule in Afghanistan - AP News - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Troops kill 30 militants attempting to sneak into Pakistan from Afghanistan - WRAL.com - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- News - Army Reservist to Receive Silver Star for Heroism in Afghanistan - DVIDS - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Russia becomes first nation to formally recognize Taliban-led government in Afghanistan - LiveNOW from FOX - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Hillsdale veteran Greg Whalen reflects on Afghanistan withdrawal through his music - Hillsdale Daily News - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Russia Becomes 1st Country To Recognise Taliban Government Of Afghanistan - NDTV - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- China Hails Russias Decision To Recognize Taliban Rule In Afghanistan; Will Beijing Follow Suit? - EurAsian Times - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Russia Becomes First Nation to Recognise Taliban Rule in Afghanistan - The Wire India - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Russia becomes first country to recognize Taliban government in Afghanistan - Trkiye Today - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Russia the first to recognise Taliban government in Afghanistan - BBC - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Russia becomes first country to recognise Taliban government of Afghanistan - The Indian Express - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Russia officially recognises the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan - 5Pillars - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Russia First to Officially Recognize Taliban Government in Afghanistan - - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Russia becomes first nation to formally recognize Taliban rule in Afghanistan - all details here - Mint - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Pakistan army kills 30 militants trying to cross from Afghanistan: Here's all we know - WION - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Kremlin's new stance: Russia first to officially recognise Afghanistan's Taliban government; will foster - Times of India - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Tourists Are Trickling into Afghanistan and the Taliban Government Is Eager to Welcome Them - Military.com - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Afghanistan: First-Hand Accounts Expose Torture by Taliban Intelligence Services - World Organisation Against Torture | OMCT - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Flight to freedom: A pilot's journey from the fall of Afghanistan to fighting fires in America - Fairfield Sun Times - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Building crutches, walkers, and stretchers from scratch in Afghanistan - Doctors Without Borders - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Russia to host seventh round of Moscow Format talks on Afghanistan this fall - Amu TV - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Earthquake of magnitude 3.9 strikes Afghanistan; third since June 28 - Business Standard - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]