“We are in a situation where the politicians and even some parts of the government don’t feel how grave the danger is,” Abdul Qayoum Rahimi, Herat’s governor, said on Saturday. “If we don’t start acting, I am afraid there might come a day where we can’t even collect the dead." Mr. Rahimi lamented the fact that his province, at the center of the concern, still lacked basic funding. But Mr. Rahimi said his province had only received $130,000 — and that sum hadn’t officially hit Herat’s accounts yet. “When we say we are facing a shortage of equipment and that our staff is low, the officials say you can work or you can resign.”

Source: New York Times March 16, 2020 06:05 UTC