KABUL, March 18 (Xinhua) -- The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday raised alarms about funding shortages in Afghanistan, warning that these shortages could lead to the shutdown of 80 percent of essential healthcare services supported by the agency.

As of March 4, a total of 167 healthcare facilities in Afghanistan have ceased operations due to a lack of funding, cutting off life-saving medical care to 1.6 million people in 25 out of the country's 34 provinces, WHO said in a statement.

"Without urgent intervention, over 220 more facilities could close by June 2025, leaving an additional 1.8 million Afghans without access to primary healthcare," the statement added.

According to the statement, the northern, western, and northeastern regions of the country are the worst affected, with more than a third of healthcare centers closed down.

Forty-one healthcare centers have been forced to shut down due to cuts in U.S. assistance in the provinces of eastern Ghazni and central Bamiyan, local officials reported in February.

Reports from the Ministry of Economy indicate that following the suspension of U.S. humanitarian assistance, 50 aid organizations in Afghanistan have ceased their operations. Enditem

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