Kabul [Afghanistan]: Hundreds of doctors including females from Samangan and Nuristan provinces gathered at the gate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) in Kabul and asked the World Bank to pay their pending salaries for the past 14 months. Khaama Press reported that the protestors complained that not only their salaries have been paid but the clinics in their respective provinces are confronting a dire shortage of medicine. They also accused an Afghan contractor of World Bank – Asad Fayaz- who has fled the country and has taken money from World Bank but have not been paid to them, as per the publication. Fayaz had a two-year health contract in the provinces and was providing health services, medicines, and salaries of doctors, they said. “Asad Fayaz has fled Afghanistan and stole our money. He was leading a corrupt firm and that caused an increase in the mortality of children and mothers in Samangan and Nuristan provinces,” Khaama Press reported quoting a protestor. In a statement, the doctors said that since the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has no relations with the World Bank and cannot ask for money, asked the bank to directly pay their money through Afghanistan’s health ministry or other NGOs. In the meantime, the doctors warned of continuation of protests in case their salaries are not paid. Since the Taliban’s takeover of the country, banks have been closed leaving millions of people out of cash. Employers have not paid their staff and even those who have money in their accounts cannot withdraw it. Afghanistan’s situation is deteriorating as the Taliban took control of the country on August 15 after the fall of the government.
