Dr. OTA Tomomi was preparing to begin full-scale activities at the KHES Allama Rashad Comprehensive Health Center in Kandahar when, on the night of February 26, 2026, a large-scale armed conflict broke out between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Five provinces in eastern Afghanistan, as well as the capital Kabul and Kandahar International Airport, were subjected to airstrikes. As of March 2nd, the civilian casualties totaled 42 dead and 104 injured. While Afghanistan has long been embroiled in border disputes with Pakistan, this conflict is unprecedented in scale and continues to this day.
Following a recommendation from the Japanese Embassy in Afghanistan, Dr. OTA Tomomi traveled overland to Kabul and then urgently returned to Japan on a Turkish Airlines flight, the only remaining flight operating. Therefore, we are discontinuing the "Designated Donation to Support the Activities of Dr. Tomomi Ota" program. We express our sincere gratitude to everyone who has contributed.