28 April
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan is urging all parties in the country to stop fighting so that medical workers and facilities can respond to the coronavirus outbreak.
A report by the UN mission released on Monday says fighting continues between government forces and the Taliban, mainly in the northeast of the country, despite the signing of a peace agreement in February between the United States and the Taliban.
The report says doctors, healthcare workers and medical facilities have been caught up in the conflict.
It says that on March 22, Taliban fighters abducted five healthcare workers and their driver in the eastern province of Kunar.
On March 24, a hospital in the northern province of Takhar suffered damage in a gun battle between government forces and the Taliban.
The number of coronavirus infections in Afghanistan exceeded 1,700 as of Monday. UN officials are concerned about the country's weak medical system and the lack of coronavirus testing resources.
NHK
