WHO medical supplies in Afghanistan to last 7 more days: Official 

The World Health Organization's (WHO) health supplies in Afghanistan are only adequate to last one week, according to Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean.

The WHO has 500 metric tonnes of supplies intended for Afghanistan waiting in a storage in Dubai, but the current circumstances at Kabul airport make shipping these important products impossible at this time, according to the official.

"WHO now only has enough supplies in the country to last for one week. Yesterday, 70% of these supplies were released to health facilities, "Al-Mandhari told a press briefing.

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The agency was encouraged by feedback from countries offering flights to bring the supplies in and was hoping for progress this week, said Richard Brennan, the WHO's regional emergency director.

"We're in negotiations with three or four countries ... I think we will be able to secure flights, " he said.

After a major scaling back, the WHO was stabilising its operations, Brennan said.

"We have had some encouraging signs and encouraging communications, that the Taliban authorities have made it clear that they want the United Nations to stay, that they want continuity of health services," he said.

"We remain cautiously optimistic that we will be able to get our operation back on an increasing scale over the coming weeks."

According to the United Nations, more than 18 million people, or more than half of Afghanistan's population, require humanitarian assistance to survive.

(With inputs from agencies)