The Taliban forced Swedish Committee for Afghanistan (SCA) to close 42 out of 77 health facilities in six out of nine districts of Wardak province, the organization said in a statement, adding that “due to this closure, an estimated 5,700 patients are affected on a daily basis.”
SCA said the move comes following last week’s “deadly attack” by Afghan security forces in Wardak against this organization in which four people were killed.
The SCA is a politically and religiously unbound Swedish non-governmental organisation active in Afghanistan. The organisation was formed in 1980.
The Ministry of Defense said, the incident will be investigated.
The closure of the health facilities denying people to receive medical treatment and health services is an obvious violation of human rights and international humanitarian law, SCA country director, Sonny Mansson said.
“We demand immediate reopening of all health facilities for the people and we strongly urge all parties involved in conflict to refrain from such actions which deliberately puts civilian lives at risk,” he said.
The Taliban has not commented on the closure of the health facilities.
The SCA statement said the organization is in contact with all parties in an attempt to reopen the health facilities in the province and urged the Taliban leadership to agree on reopening of the health facilities with immediate effect.
