ISLAMABAD, July 4: Afghanistan’s central Ghor province issued an urgent appeal on Thursday for medical help to stop an “epidemic” of water-borne diseases, the Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) reported.

“In the past two weeks, 35 people have died due to diarrhoea-related complications and other diseases in various districts of the province,” the Pakistan-based AIP quoted Ghor Governor Mohammad Ibrahim as saying.

He said 25 people died in Taiwana district alone and the “epidemic was spreading fast.”

“I appeal to the World Health Organization and other relief organizations to send relief urgently to this area,” he said.

Ibrahim said there were very few doctors and the non-availability of medicine was adding to the public misery.

“There are no medicines and there are very few private doctors. If prompt relief was not provided many more people are bound to die.”

The governor said the epidemic had been caused by lack of clean drinking water and long drought.

Afghanistan is ravaged by a three years of severe drought and more than two decades of war and bloodshed. —AFP