Afghanistan: The challenge of caring for the sick and wounded in conflict-affected areas
04-04-2014 Photo gallery
The reasons for the closure of rural health centres and clinics in conflict-riven Afghanistan are many and varied. Violations of international humanitarian law are high on the list, with patients delayed or prevented from reaching hospital, medical personnel harassed or kidnapped, and facilities used for purposes other than health care. As World Health Day 2014 – on 7 April – approaches, the following photos taken at Mirwais Regional Hospital in Kandahar last September give an insight into the scale of the challenges faced by medical staff on a daily basis.