Rockets Hits Kabul, Afghanistan. EMERGENCY: Explosions Near Our Hospital

Kabul was hit by heavy attacks this morning with approximately 23 missiles landing in the city.

“It all happened very quickly: there was a rocket attack at just before 9am. Four or five landed near EMERGENCY’s Surgical Centre for War Victims. The first patients arrived within minutes and then many others began to arrive soon afterwards. It’s a massacre: we have received 30 patients so far, one of whom died on arrival, and we have hospitalised 21 to treat their injuries. Another eight have already been treated and discharged,” says Marco Puntin, EMERGENCY Programme Coordinator in Afghanistan.

“Peace never came to Kabul. Although we have seen fewer mass casualty attacks in recent months, not a day goes by without incidents in the city,” continues Puntin. “We are very concerned about the situation across the country. In Helmand there was fighting day and night for a whole month, and the clashes have not yet stopped. Indiscriminate attacks also occurred in the provinces of Kandahar, Wardak, Logar, Nangarhar, Laghman, Ghor and Takhar. More than 400 civilians were killed or wounded in October alone according to the UN. We continue to work at full capacity at our hospitals, but a comprehensive ceasefire is urgently needed,” Puntin concludes.

The EMERGENCY Surgical Centre in Kabul has admitted 1,763 patients so far this year, 1,718 of whom had war-related injuries.

EMERGENCY has 2 other Surgical Centres in Afghanistan – in Kabul and Anabah – a Maternity Centre, and a network of 44 First Aid Posts.

EMERGENCY is an independent, neutral organisation, founded in 1994 to offer free, high-quality medical and surgical treatment to victims of war, landmines and poverty. Since then EMERGENCY has treated over 11 million people: one every minute. EMERGENCY promotes a culture of peace, solidarity and respect for human rights.