Healthcare Costs Soar Nearly 14 Percent In Afghanistan Amid Kabul-Islamabad Tensions And Border Standoff

(MENAFN- Khaama Press) Healthcare expenses in Afghanistan have surged nearly 14 percent, as ongoing tensions between Kabul and Islamabad and closed border crossings disrupt trade and supplies.
Afghanistan is experiencing rising inflation, with treatment and healthcare costs surging 13.9 percent in November, according to the Taliban's Statistics and Information Authority on Saturday, December 6.

Food prices also increased, with grains up 1.3 percent, meat 1.6 percent, fruits 10.3 percent, and vegetables 2.1 percent, reflecting the broader cost-of-living pressures.

Non-food items rose as well, including a 3.2 percent increase in housing costs and a 13.9 percent jump in medical expenses, pushing monthly inflation to 1.6 percent. Year-on-year inflation rose 8.5 percent compared to the same month last year.

The price surge comes as trade between Afghanistan and Pakistan remains blocked. The border has been closed for nearly two monrths due to political tensions, halting imports and exports.

The Taliban has given Afghanistan traders a three-month deadline to settle accounts with Pakistani companies. After this period, imports of Pakistani goods, including medicines, will be entirely prohibited.

Pakistan has stated it will not reopen border crossings until it receives guarantees that Afghanistan territory will not be used to threaten security, keeping trade routes closed.

Economists warn that extended border closures could worsen shortages of essential goods such as food and medicine, further fueling inflation and increasing economic hardship for families in Afghanistan.

Humanitarian organizations have urged both countries to resume trade quickly to ensure vital supplies reach the population and mitigate the rising cost-of-living crisis.

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