Officials from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) responsible for vaccination in Helmand have reported interference by the Taliban in the vaccination process in the province.
The officials said on Monday, October 26, that the Taliban’s interference had obstructed their activities and delayed the implementation of vaccination programmes.
Meanwhile, informed sources told the Hasht-e Subh Daily that Taliban officials were interfering in the recruitment of vaccination workers and the organisation of awareness-raising sessions in Helmand.
According to the sources, these individuals were engaging in corruption in the process with the support of the Taliban’s provincial director of public health in Helmand and the provincial head of the Emergency Vaccination Centre, who is also a member of the Taliban.
The sources added that employees in various vaccination departments in Helmand were being recruited on the verbal orders of Taliban officials, while recruitment examinations were merely a formality.
According to the sources, people who are not affiliated with the Taliban or close to the group are barred from attending public awareness sessions and vaccination-related seminars in the province.
The sources added that the organisations concerned had raised these problems with the Helmand provincial authorities several times. However, despite assurances from local officials, no action has been taken to address the complaints so far.
Corruption and complaints about the Taliban’s treatment of organisations are not limited to Helmand. In several other provinces of Afghanistan, people have also complained about corruption in institutions and organisations under the group’s control.
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