HERAT, Afghanistan — Dozens of critically ill newborns arrive daily at the regional hospital in Herat, brought in from remote provinces across western Afghanistan, sources said, adding that many do not survive.
Doctors say these deaths are not due to a lack of treatment knowledge but a collapse in access to basic care. After the withdrawal of most U.S. and international assistance, dozens of permanent and mobile health clinics across the region have shut down, forcing desperate families to travel long distances in search of help — often too late.
“Previously, mobile and permanent clinics operated in the districts and provincial centers, providing life-saving services for mothers and newborns,” said one doctor at Herat’s 20-bed pediatric hospital, run by Doctors Without Borders. “Now, this is the only facility offering basic care for newborns. But even here, due to a lack of resources, some infants die every day.”
The pediatric hospital, meant to provide emergency and stabilizing care, is now overwhelmed. Its limited capacity and supplies cannot meet the demands of a region where preventive and maternal health services have all but disappeared.
In rural parts of Herat Province and neighboring districts, the consequences are devastating. Shah Gul, a mother from a nearby village, described how she lost her daughter during a desperate journey to the city.
“My daughter was pregnant. We were taking her to the hospital in Herat, but she died on the way,” she said. “Only her baby survived. Since her death, I’ve been sick myself.”
Another mother, Aqlima, said her infant children are severely ill, but she cannot afford medical care. “They cough constantly, they have chest infections, and we have no way to treat them,” she said. “Even the medicine we buy doesn’t help.”
Health officials say the situation is worsening by the day.
“If health services are not restored in the districts and villages, this could become a disaster for the entire western region,” said Dr. Wakil Ahmad Ghoryani, a physician in Herat. “Every political change affects the most vulnerable — newborns and mothers suffer first.”
Dr. Ghoryani cited recent reports by the Red Cross and the World Health Organization, which estimate that 3.2 million children in Afghanistan are currently suffering from malnutrition, and more than 840,000 pregnant women are also affected.
Afghanistan’s western region includes more than 40 districts and hundreds of villages, many of which now lack access to the most basic health services. Roads are poor, transport is costly, and clinics — once supported by foreign aid — have either closed or suspended operations.
Doctors Without Borders continues to provide services at its Herat pediatric hospital, but staff say the need far exceeds capacity. With temperatures rising and seasonal infections increasing, physicians warn of a surge in child deaths if additional support is not restored.
The current crisis, doctors say, is a direct consequence of both political isolation and the international community’s suspension of most humanitarian funding. Unless action is taken soon, they warn, the smallest and most vulnerable Afghans will continue to pay the price.
