WHO says hopes for air bridge into northern Afghanistan in days

Published: August 27, 2021 16:35:33 | Updated: August 28, 2021 10:47:43

A man waits outside a factory to get his oxygen cylinder refilled, amidst the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Kabul, Afghanistan June 15, 2021. REUTERS

Medical supplies are running out in Afghanistan, where the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday it hoped to establish an air bridge into the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif with the help of Pakistani authorities within the next two or three days, reports Reuters.

"Right now because of security concerns and several other operational considerations, Kabul airport is not going to be an option for the next week at least," Rick Brennan, WHO's regional emergency director, speaking from Cairo, told a Geneva briefing.

Insurance rates for flying into Afghanistan have "skyrocketed", he said, speaking a day after bombs at Kabul airport killed dozens of people. "Once we can address that we can hopefully be airborne in the next 48-72 hours," he added.