let's go first to caracas, where drjulio castro is currently treating 70 covid patients in his private clinic and worrying about the thousands more venezuelans across the country who cannot get proper health care. we are heading close to 9000 cases all over venezuela. in the last five weeks, we have an increase in the number of cases by week, close to 35% every week. we are getting to the 90% occupancy in the icu units with the capacity up to the full level right now and we are still at the beginning of the exponential phase of the transmission of the coronavirus in venezuela. it is probably worth reminding our viewers, dr castro, you're talking to me from caracas, and that city and your country already is dealing with crisis with economic crisis. yes, indeed. we are in the middle of an economic crisis. the hyperinflation rate in the last year was close to 4000%. absolutely amazing. the health crisis has been in the last five years or so. we have been declared as a humanitarian situation in the last two years, but we are in the middle of a huge crisis besides the other crisis, the econ

drjulio castro, when you tell me these things about the state of venezuela, you're speaking out and it could be taken as critical of nicholas maduro's government. are you putting yourself at risk by speaking out? yes, for sure. when we complain about the numbers or complain about the hospital situation, we are in danger. notjust myself, all the physicians who are complaining are in jeopardy right now. venezuela doctorjulio castro in caracas. we talk next about a country that is already weakened by four decades of war. covid cases stand at 311,000 and rising in afghanistan. and lockdown is imposing extra hardships on a lot of families making do with very little. the international committee of the red cross runs a number of clinics there that are overseen by doctor gabriel mufuta, a congolese born doctor who has a decade of experience in war—torn countries. he has been speaking to me from ireland, he is there on a short break from kabul. the health system, which is weak and frail as it is known, a war—torn country, four decades of armed conflict, inevitably the country is facing diff