When Latifa Haidari finally arrived in Kabul two weeks ago, her nine-month-old son Loqman was already severely malnourished and dehydrated. Doctors told her it had almost been too late.
Loqman had been sick for several weeks, but with no adequate health facility available and the powdered milk Mrs Haidari usually purchased out of stock, his health quickly deteriorated. His body became frail and dehydrated.
“I travelled to Kabul to try to save his life,” the 32-year-old mother of seven told The National. She had barely been able to pay the 700 Afghani [$8] bus fare from her native Baghlan province – an eight-hour drive through the Hindu Kush and over the Salang Mountain Pass – to Kabul.
Mrs Haidari had come alone, which is uncommon in Afghanistan, but paying for an additional bus ticket for her husband or another relative had been impossible, so she decided to take the risk to try to save her son’s life.
Since the Taliban’s military takeover in August, Afghanistan has been thrown into a deep economic and humanitarian crisis as almost $10 billion in bank funds – most of them private assets – remain frozen and the majority of aid has been put on hold.
The hardline group has since been trying to set up a functioning government, but it lacks international recognition and there are internal divides within the group.
Throughout the country, 2,000 health facilities are now in the process of closing or have already shut their doors as money has dried up, according to the Red Cross, leaving millions of people without access to doctors and – struck by poverty – unable to travel long distances to seek health care.
Few signs of improvement are visible as the international community is in no rush to formally recognise the ‘Islamic Emirate’s’ government. Amid increasing inflation, widespread unemployment and few funds available within the country, desperation is growing and fears are rising that Afghanistan could once again – as it did during the 1996-2001 Taliban rule – become a failed state.
Aid groups now warn that more than seven million children are at risk of hunger throughout the country.
“At least one million children will suffer from severe acute malnutrition this year and could die without proper treatment,” the Unicef executive director Henrietta Fore said in a report last month.
Half of Afghanistan's children under five are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition, latest data released by the Unicef showed, while 14 million people could face acute food insecurity.
The Sehatmandi project – the biggest donor-funded health initiative providing health care in all of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces – is currently running at only 17 per cent capacity.
Haidari said that while she felt safer now – the journey from Baghlan to Kabul had previously been dangerous, at times passing front lines and Taliban checkpoints – “everything else” had become worse.
“We can’t afford food and medicine and we have no fully functioning hospitals in our province. We even had to borrow money for my trip to Kabul,” she said, holding her frail son in her arms.
“I don’t know how I’ll get home and I don’t know if I’ll be able to take my other children to hospital if they get sick.”
At the Indira Ghani Children’s Hospital, where Loqman is recovering, doctors and nurses are trying to cope with a massive influx of patients.
“It’s much more than last year,” said the malnutrition ward’s head nurse, Mohammed Anwar.
“Sometimes we admit up to 12 malnourished children a day, with parents coming here from all over the country. It’s getting worse because poverty is significantly increasing and health services across the country are either limited or closed completely. At the same time, roads are open and safe to travel on for the first time in years, so more patients are coming to Kabul.”
Zenad Sawkey, 36, brought her malnourished 3-year-old son Sohaib to Kabul a week ago, a five-hour drive from her home in the eastern Kunar province.
“There are no jobs in Kunar and no good hospitals to treat children. My husband is a farmer and was mostly selling in Pakistan, but since the Taliban came, he hasn’t been able to do any business. We’re out of money,” she said, sitting next to Sohaib, the room full of other mothers and their children.
Anwar believes that “this is just the start”, with Indira Ghani being the country’s biggest and best equipped hospital.
“If people don’t have access to money and food, more children will face hunger. We’re at the start of a crisis that could see many lives lost.”
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Tips to avoid getting scammed
1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday
2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment
3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone
4) Try not to close the sale at night
5) Don't be rushed into a sale
6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.6-litre turbo
Transmission: six-speed automatic
Power: 165hp
Torque: 240Nm
Price: From Dh89,000 (Enjoy), Dh99,900 (Innovation)
On sale: Now
The bio
Job: Coder, website designer and chief executive, Trinet solutions
School: Year 8 pupil at Elite English School in Abu Hail, Deira
Role Models: Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk
Dream City: San Francisco
Hometown: Dubai
City of birth: Thiruvilla, Kerala
Spec%20sheet
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDisplay%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204.7%22%20Retina%20HD%2C%201334%20x%20750%2C%20625%20nits%2C%201400%3A1%2C%20True%20Tone%2C%20P3%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EChip%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Apple%20A15%20Bionic%2C%206-core%20CPU%2C%204-core%20GPU%2C%2016-core%20Neural%20Engine%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECamera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2012MP%2C%20f%2F1.8%2C%205x%20digital%20zoom%2C%20Smart%20HDR%2C%20Deep%20Fusion%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EVideo%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204K%2B%40%2024%2F30%2F60fps%2C%20full%20HD%2B%40%2030%2F60fps%2C%20HD%2B%40%2030%20fps%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EFront%20camera%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7MP%2C%20f%2F2.2%2C%20Smart%20HDR%2C%20Deep%20Fusion%3B%20HD%20video%2B%40%2030fps%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Up%20to%2015%20hours%20video%2C%2050%20hours%20audio%3B%2050%25%20fast%20charge%20in%2030%20minutes%20with%2020W%20charger%3B%20wireless%20charging%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBiometrics%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Touch%20ID%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EDurability%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20IP67%2C%20dust%2C%20water%20resistant%20up%20to%201m%20for%2030%20minutes%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh1%2C849%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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China
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UAE
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Canada
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm
Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm
Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Company%20profile
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EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 2
Suarez (10'), Messi (52')
Real Madrid 2
Ronaldo (14'), Bale (72')
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Visit Abu Dhabi culinary team's top Emirati restaurants in Abu Dhabi
Yadoo’s House Restaurant & Cafe
For the karak and Yoodo's house platter with includes eggs, balaleet, khamir and chebab bread.
Golden Dallah
For the cappuccino, luqaimat and aseeda.
Al Mrzab Restaurant
For the shrimp murabian and Kuwaiti options including Kuwaiti machboos with kebab and spicy sauce.
Al Derwaza
For the fish hubul, regag bread, biryani and special seafood soup.
Ronaldo's record at Man Utd
Seasons 2003/04 - 2008/09
Appearances 230
Goals 115
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
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MATCH INFO
Newcastle United 1 (Carroll 82')
Leicester City 2 (Maddison 55', Tielemans 72')
Man of the match James Maddison (Leicester)
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
Women%E2%80%99s%20Asia%20Cup
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Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
