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Chinese City Under Strict COVID-19 Lockdown; One Million Afghan Children At Risk Of Starvation; Biden Indicates He'll Seek Reelection If Trump Runs. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired December 23, 2021 - 02:00:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States and all around the world. Live from CNN headquarters in Atlanta. I'm Rosemary Church and this is CNN NEWSROOM.

Just ahead. Biden on the defensive what he says about the national COVID test shortage and why Donald Trump inspires him to run in 2024.

A major city in China under strict lockdown this hour. The largest lockdown since the pandemic began.

And heartbreak in Afghanistan, one million young children at risk of dying from starvation.

ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center. This is CNN NEWSROOM with Rosemary Church.

CHURCH: Good to have you with us. Well, the Biden administration is struggling to deal with the surprisingly swift spread of COVID cases and at the same time is trying to reassure an exasperated American public. The President admitted during an interview with ABC that nothing's been good enough, yet insisted the U.S. is better prepared now than during the earliest surges.

Still, long lines like these prove there's not enough COVID test to meet the high demand from Americans who desperately want to spend time with their loved ones this holiday season and feel safe doing so. CNN's Jeff Zeleny picks up the story.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF U.S. NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: President Biden acknowledging in a new interview that his administration has struggled to keep up with the Omicron variant of the COVID 19 pandemic. Clearly marking this surge in cases here in the U.S. He said simply nothing has been good enough. He was defensive in one hand on an ABC News interview but also try to really explain why no one could have foreseen this rapid surge.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: No, I don't think it's a failure. I think it's a -- you could argue that we should have known a year ago, six months ago, two months ago, a month ago. I've ordered half a billion of the pills. 500 million pills. Excuse me. 500 million test kits that are going to be available to be sent to every home in America if anybody wants them. But the answer is, yes, I wish I had thought about ordering a half a billion pills two months ago before COVID hit here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENY: But in fact, many experts said you could see this coming. So there are questions of why more tests were not ready. Now there are going to be about a half a billion at home tests mailed in the month of January. But the question is, will that be too late? Now the President also seems to struggle between the idea of pills and tests. So a bit of confusion there on that part.

But no doubt, he said and wanted to stress that this year at the holidays, certainly different than a year ago because of vaccinations. This is not like the March of 2020, the beginning of the pandemic said the country is an entirely different place. The world, of course, is as well. The President clearly though trying to take command of this which has certainly eluded him. But also in that ABC News interview, David Muir asked the President about his own reelection prospects.

Did he plan to run for re election? Watch what he says when he talks about President Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: Yes, but look, I'm a great respecter of fate. Fate has intervened in my life many, many times. If I'm in the health I'm in now, if I'm in good health, then in fact, I would run again.

DAVID MUIR, ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT ANCHOR: And if that means a rematch against Donald Trump?

BIDEN: You're trying to tempt me now? Sure, why would I not running as Donald Trump. You're the nominee, that increase the prospect of running.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENY: So certainly that of course is many years to come. The challenges now facing this White House are much more severe on the pandemic, trying to contain this. Of course, the President's political fortunes are deeply tied into all of this, but clearly heading into the holidays the White House on edge during this Christmas, certainly ending this year in a complicated step again with the pandemic. Jeff Zeleny, CNN, the White House.

CHURCH: There is a new pill that could be a real game changer in the battle against the coronavirus. The FDA has now authorized Pfizer's antiviral pill to treat COVID-19 in the U.S. It's meant for people ages 12 and older at risk of severe illness. And some positive news on the Omicron variant.

[02:05:02] CHURCH: Two new studies from South Africa and Scotland suggest a reduced risk of COVID-19 hospitalization when infected with Omicron compared to Delta.

Meantime in New York, 12 Broadway shows have been cancelled due to COVID-19 outbreaks. The state reported nearly 29,000 new COVID cases on Wednesday, breaking its own highest daily case count record. And Washington, D.C. also set a new daily record reporting more than 1500 cases on Tuesday.

I want to bring in Dr. Megan Ranney. Now she is a professor of Emergency Medicine and an Associate Dean of Public Health at Brown University. Thank you, Doctor, for all that you do and for talking with us.

DR. MEGAN RANNEY, PROFESSOR OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE: Thank you. It's a joy to join you.

CHURCH: Wonderful. So the FDA just authorized the first antiviral COVID pill that promises to dramatically reduce hospitalizations and deaths. But it requires early diagnosis for it to work and supply may also be an issue here. How big a game changer could this Pfizer pill proved to be despite those obstacles do you think?

RANNEY: This approval is one of the first real pieces of good news that we've had about COVID in a very long time. This is the first new therapeutic to be approved since Remdesivir and the monoclonal antibodies. And it could not come at a better time. The ability to prescribe people a pill that they can take in the comfort of their own home, and help prevent hospitalization, intensive care unit stays or death.

I mean, that just could be transformational for the effect of COVID on society. But as you noted, there are some issues. The first is, you have to take it relatively quickly after you get sick. And we have a lack of testing here in the United States right now. The second issue is that we're not going to have adequate supply for quite a while. We're -- they're saying that we're going to have around 65,000 doses this year.

Another 200,000 in January. That's just a drop in the bucket in the face of Omicron. And the third thing is, is that I worry that this pill is going to be available largely to those with privileged, to the wealthy, and not to those who are necessarily highest risk for those severe outcomes.

CHURCH: Right. That always is a concern in these sorts of situations, isn't it then? And Doctor, Omicron infections appear to be falling sharply in South Africa, suggesting we could perhaps see a sudden drop in Omicron infections elsewhere in just a matter of weeks. Although that is clearly not certain. What do you make of the data coming out of South Africa right now? And does it give you any comfortable hope?

RANNEY: It does give me hope, but hope with a big caveat. You know, there's so much about South Africa that is different from the U.K., from Europe or from the United States. It is summer there, folks are spending time mostly outdoors. And the demographics of South African society are different. It is a much younger society. And a huge percentage of folks have been exposed to the Delta variant.

So although it may be that what rises quickly, also falls quickly. That would be wonderful if we see that happen elsewhere across the globe. I'm not fully confident that we will see the -- exactly the same pattern across the rest of the world, particularly those of us in the northern hemisphere. Our indoors mixing right now sets us up for Omicron spreading a little longer.

CHURCH: And Doctor, you mentioned this. Those lines for COVID testing still too long, with some people waiting for more than three hours in some instances and the White House has announced plans to increase testing but that won't happen for weeks. So what should people do over the next few days to ensure they don't put vulnerable family members in jeopardy?

RANNEY: So the first and biggest thing is if you have symptoms, runny nose, sniffles, cough, certainly body aches or fever, please stay home. Make that appointment online for your local Department of Health or pharmacy to get a test. But don't go out and about if you have symptoms. The second thing is if you happen to have been lucky enough to stock up on rapid tests, if you are asymptomatic and vaccinated and you're going to be having a family get together, I strongly recommend a rapid test right beforehand.

Not a day beforehand, but really within an hour or two of that get together to minimize the risk that anyone is infectious. And the third thing is this is a good time to dial things back a little bit. I know we are all so exhausted by this pandemic. No one wants to go back into lockdowns but for the sake of your family now is a good time to up your masking, wear those KN95s or KF94s.. Try to decrease the social analyzing and avoid crowded indoor spaces as much as you can.

[02:10:04]

CHURCH: Some great advice there. And Doctor, most people who are fully vaccinated and boostered are getting pretty frustrated and angry with those refusing to get even one shot. And of course hospitals and healthcare workers as you would well know are paying the price. Is it time, perhaps for health insurance companies to consider what Australia might do, which is build those who refuse to get vaccinated, but then gets sick with the full cost of their hospital medical expenses.

RANNEY: I honestly don't see something like that flying here in the United States. Certainly there's a precedent for charging people, different rates for life insurance or other forms of insurance. But we don't typically see it in health insurance here in the U.S. for a variety of reasons. It is exhausting and frustrating as a healthcare worker to be continuing to take care of patients who are severely ill, with a disease that can -- the worst of which can be largely prevented by vaccines.

But as health care workers, this is our oath to take care of folks no matter what life choices they make. I just hope that more people decide to go and get their shots before it's too late.

CHURCH: Yes, because of course, the problem is they're taking up beds for cancer patients, those patients with heart conditions. It is a very sad situation that could be worked out. Dr. Megan Ranney, thank you so much for talking with us and Happy Holidays to you.

RANNEY: Thank you. You too. Stay healthy.

CHURCH: Thank you. Well, China is launching what appears to be its biggest COVID lockdown yet. Some 13 million people are being ordered to stay at home in the central city of Xi'An after a spike in locally transmitted infections. 63 new cases were recorded on Wednesday. The most since Xi'An's outbreak began two weeks ago. More than 200 infections have been registered since then. And mass testing is already underway.

China has now basically blocked off Xi'An with transportation to and from the city suspended. Just as it did with Wuhan, the original epicenter of the pandemic early last year. China's strictest lockdown category is referred to as sealed areas which banned people from leaving their homes and requires groceries to be delivered. The next level is called controlled and that's where Xi'An is right now.

It allows one household member to leave every other day to get food within the neighborhood. And the least serious category is prevention, which advises people to work from home and avoid public transportation. More now from Selina Wang.

SELINA WANG, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The Chinese City of Xi'An and its 13 million residents have been put under strict lockdown. The city has recorded more than 200 COVID-19 cases since December 9th. Residents are largely banned from leaving their homes, but one designated person from each household will be allowed to leave every two days to buy groceries.

Otherwise, residents are only allowed to leave in the case of a medical emergency or for "urgent or necessary works." That's according to the local government. Xi'An has also shut down all schools, public transport and facilities except for central service providers. This is the fourth time a major Chinese city has been placed under strict lockdown. The first was back in early 2020 when Wuhan ground zero of the pandemic went into lockdown.

With the games now less than 45 days away, the country is doubling down on zero COVID strategy. Cities are locking down in mass testing residents in response to just a handful of COVID-19 cases in the country. Olympic participants will have to be in a strict bubble and tested daily. If they are not vaccinated they'll have to quarantine for 21 days upon arrival. If China pulls off the Winter Olympics successfully, it would be a propaganda win for its handling of COVID- 19 and for its authoritarian system. Selina Wang, CNN, Tokyo.

CHURCH: Coming up. A new lawsuit aims to block a subpoena from the health committee investigating the January 6 Capitol riot. We will have the details just ahead. And a verdict in Ghislaine Maxwell's sex trafficking trial will just have to wait until after the Christmas holiday. The details just ahead. Stay with us.

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[02:18:24]

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Well, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments on January 7 on challenges to the Biden administration's COVID-19 vaccine mandates for large employers and some healthcare workers. The White House Press Secretary defended the administration's position on Wednesday saying "Especially as the U.S. faces the highly transmissible Omicron variant. It's critical to protect workers with vaccination requirements and testing protocols that urgently needed. We are confident in the legal authority for both policies and DOJ will vigorously defend both at the Supreme Court."

Well, the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol is now hoping to speak with one of Donald Trump's top Congressional allies. Republican Representative Jim Jordan. The panel has asked him to meet with him voluntarily. Here is how he reacted to that during an interview on Fox News.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JIM JORDAN (R-OH): We just got to love the day, Brian. We're going to review the letter but I got to be honest with you. I got real concerns about any committee that will take a document and alter it and present it to the American people completely mislead the American people like they did last week. And it turns out -- it looks like it wasn't just one document they did this with, it was others -- other text messages as well. So I got real concerns with that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And as the House panel faces resistance, it's also now facing a new legal challenge. CNN's Jessica Schneider has more now from Washington.

MICHAEL FLYNN, FORMER U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: Who won the election on the 3RD? Who won the election on the 3RD? Donald Trump.

[02:20:06]

ALI ALEXANDER, STOP THE STEAL ORGANIZER: I was the person who came up with the January 6 idea.

JESSICA SCHNEIDER, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Trump's allies had spent the past year repeatedly questioning the 2020 election. And the House Select Committee's investigation into the deadly insurrection January 6.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This evidence actually exonerates me and this evidence actually is going to exonerate President Donald J. Trump. SCHNEIDER: And now they're taking another page from Trump's playbook suing to stop the committee from getting access to their records and testimony. The former president has filed his own lawsuit that is now making its way through the courts trying to stop the National Archives from handing over hundreds of pages of documents, including White House visitor and call logs and drafts and speeches and handwritten notes.

In recent weeks, more lawsuits have poured in from Trump's chief of staff Mark Meadows, Trump's first National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, John Eastman, the conservative lawyer who wrote a memo detailing how V.P. Mike Pence could interrupt the certification of the election results. Alex Jones, the far-right wing media pundit. Cleta Mitchell, an election lawyer for Trump. Ali Alexander, one of the planners of the Stop the Steal rally, and a handful of other rally organizers.

All have sued to stop the committee or to stop phone companies from turning over their records to the committee. A judge in Flynn's case just denied a request to immediately step in and block a subpoena for his testimony and any request for his phone records as his case moves forward.

MARK MEADOWS, FORMER WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: The foundation is not based on a legislative purpose.

SCHNEIDER: Mark Meadows is challenging the basic premise of the committee and others have followed his lead. In Meadows' suit, his lawyers write, the Select Committee acts absent any valid legislative power and threatens to violate long standing principles of executive privilege and immunity that are of constitutional origin and dimension. Meadows handed over thousands of records to the committee but when he refused to meet with them, the House voted to refer him for possible prosecution for criminal contempt of Congress.

MEADOWS: But truly the executive privilege that Donald Trump is claimed is his to wave, it's not mine to wave, it's not Congress's to wave. And that's why we file the lawsuit to hopefully get the courts to weigh in.

SCHNEIDER: Democrats are pledging that their probe won't be impeded, stressing that hundreds of witnesses have already cooperated even as a handful fight in court.

REP. JASON CROW (D-CO): We won't stop fighting for democracy. We want fighting stop fighting for rule of law. We're not going to back down. We won't be intimidated. We're going to keep going.

SCHNEIDER: Jessica Schneider, CNN, Washington.

CHURCH: Jurors entered a third day of deliberations without reaching a verdict and the manslaughter trial of Kimberly Potter. The former Minnesota police officer claims she mistook her handgun for a taser when she fatally shot 20-year-old Daunte Wright, an unarmed black man back in April. The jurors have indicated they are struggling to reach a verdict. Writes, death set off several days of protests. Prosecutors argue Potter was reckless and negligent in drawing the wrong weapon. The Defense says it was an unfortunate accident but not a crime.

Well, the jury in the sex trafficking trial of Ghislaine Maxwell has adjourned for the Christmas holiday without reaching a verdict. The British socialite is accused of luring teen girls to be sexually abused by her former boyfriend and associate Jeffrey Epstein. The latest now from CNN 's Kara Scannell.

KARA SCANNELL, CNN REPORTER: After roughly 16 hours of deliberations, no verdict yet in the sex trafficking trial of Ghislaine Maxwell. Late Wednesday, the jury asked for additional testimony saying they wanted to hear from another accuser, Kate, they wanted to see her testimony. She had testified that Ghislaine Maxwell had recruited her and lured her into giving Jeffrey Epstein massages. Massages that she said turn sexual.

They also wanted to hear the testimony of Juan Alessi. He was the Palm Beach House Manager. And Alessi had testified that he had found sex toys after massages, that he drove Jane, another accuser to the airport with Maxwell and Epstein and that he was born to be blind, deaf and dumb about their lives. The jury has now requested the testimony of all four accusers after on Tuesday asking to see the testimony of accusers Jane, Annie Farmer and Carolyn.

Deliberations will pick up again on Monday after the long Christmas holiday. The judge warned the jurors to stay safe and so that they could take N95 masks with them because of the new variants. As for Maxwell, she will spend her 60th birthday on Christmas day in jail.

CHURCH: Kara Scannell reporting beer from New York. And still to come. Long lines and low supplies. Many Americans are scrambling to find COVID test before the holidays. Why some are confused about which type of test to get?

Plus, we are live in Europe as one country reports more than 100,000 COVID infections in a single day. Back in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:28:30]

CHURCH: Welcome back ,everyone. Well for many Americans getting a COVID test on this summer holiday has been very difficult. The supplies are dwindling and wait times are increasing. And Health officials say demand is only going to get bigger. CNN's Brian Todd looks at the testing options available.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): From California to D.C. the lines of people waiting to get free COVID tests. Many of them unable to buy test kits in stores are now extending around city blocks. And to say patience is wearing thin is putting it mildly.

NEISHA BLANDIN, IN LINE FOR COVID-19 TEST: I'm very frustrated. I've been looking for a test for about all week actually for a few days now. All of the CVS (INAUDIBLE) are out. They don't expect to get you -- get any until Friday.

TODD: The demand for test kits is so high that CVS, Wal-Mart, Amazon and Walgreens are limiting the number of at- home COVID test kits customers can buy. But many simply can't find them at all.

TAYLOR GREY, LOOKING FOR AT-HOME COVID-19 TEST: We searched around like on CVS and Walgreens on all the Web sites, everything's full because of the holidays.

TODD: Compounding the problem. At this point, many people are confused over what kind of COVID test to get.

MAEGAN WOOD, IN LINE FOR COVID-19 TEST: So it's kind of just confusing on what's actually correct and what I need to get to be able to do go home for Christmas, see my family, all that stuff.

RANNEY: There are three big categories of tests. And within each of those categories, there are of course, a bunch of different manufacturers, a bunch of different ways that you can do the tests. It's all off complicated for the average American to figure out.

[02:30:03]

TODD (voiceover): Over the counter, at home tests from these manufacturers are not authorized by the FDA. Experts say, they all work well.

DR. MICHAEL MINA, CHIEF SCIENCE OFFICER, EMED: In general, for the purposes that most people are using tests today, which is to ask, am I a risk to others around me, the rapid test you can pick up on the shelf tend to perform very, very well for that use.

TODD (voiceover): They are three basic categories of tests. There are laboratory PCR tests. PCR standing for polymerase chain reaction. Experts say those are the most accurate, more expensive tests done in labs, which amplify the virus's genetic material that may be in your system. Experts say the PCR test is what you want, if you want to figure out whether to go back to the office or travel. There are also rapid antigen tests, which people can conduct at home, which are cheaper and can we turn results in as little as 15 minutes.

DR. RANNEY: The antigen test, that rapid at home test is the right thing to do if you want a rapid time sensitive assessment of whether or not you are infectious, right before you go into a gathering.

TODD (voiceover): And there are antibody tests, which can indicate if you have some protection from a previous COVID-19 infection or vaccine. One expert says, no matter what kind of test you want to take, because of the test kit shortage, it's important to make your test count. If you have just one test available.

DR. MINA: If you feel symptoms come on, don't use the test right away. Assume you are positive and isolate and quarantine. Use the test on day two or day three.

TODD (on camera): Another key piece of advice we're getting from experts, as we head to more holiday gatherings, they say if you've got a test at home and you're going to, or hosting a holiday gathering, take the test as close in time to the gathering as you can. Not one or two days before, not a few hours before, but maybe 20 to 30 minutes before the gathering so you can get the most accurate gauge of what to do. Experts say we're going to have to ride this out for probably one or two more months before more tests are widely available for everyone.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: The wave of new COVID restrictions across Europe is moving nearly as fast as the Omicron variant itself. Spain is set to bring back outdoor mask mandates starting Christmas eve. And Belgium is canceling indoor events and activities. Although gyms and museums can stay open.

Meanwhile, the U.K. reported more than 106,000 new COVID cases on Wednesday. It is the first time the country has crossed the 100,000 threshold since the pandemic started. So, let's cross over to London now and CNN's Nada Bashir joins us live.

Good to see you, Nada.

So, we know that Omicron is more contagious than delta. And clearly, the number of U.K. infections reflect this. But what about hospitalizations and deaths? What to those U.K. numbers reveal? And of course, the restrictions?

NADA BASHIR, CNN PRODUCER: Absolutely, Rosemary.

That is a concern now. How will these figures translate to the hospitalization rate that we are seeing in the U.K., as you mentioned? That sobering trigger more than 100,000 new cases. Of those new cases, more than 13,000 confirmed to be the Omicron variant. And the warning that we're hearing from health experts is that if urgent action isn't taken in these next few weeks before the New Year, we could be seeing a surge in hospital admissions in January. And that's the concern now.

We're seeing in London, in particular, a significant rise in hospital admissions. And that is important to note because London is really where we're seeing that vast spread of Omicron cases. So, there is a real sense of focus now on how these figures will translate. The government has said, it is monitoring these trends hour by hour in order to take a look at its response and the accurate response to those figures.

But at this stage, the government isn't bringing into forth any new measures for Christmas, although it has said it could see tougher restrictions after Christmas.

CHURCH: -- Europe in terms of infections, hospitalizations and restrictions there.

BASHIR: Well, Rosemary, in Europe we have been seeing a surge in those numbers as well. And, of course, we've obviously seen stricter restrictions being brought into force by a number of European countries. We heard the alarm bells being run by the W.H.O. The director of -- for Europe for the W.H.O. has said, while there isn't a reason to panic at this stage, European leaders need to be taking a look at the measures they are bringing into force. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. HANS KLUGE, EUROPEAN W.H.O. DIRECTOR: We should be very concerned, but there's no reason for panic. What we see is that it transmits three times faster than the Delta and this is globally. And that the doubling time is two to three days in countries like the United Kingdom, Denmark. So, it means we have only limited strategies to come through the winter, keeping mortality down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[02:35:00]

BASHIR: And really, those strategies that we're seeing being implemented very across Europe. And what we're seeing is a focus on those booster jabs on getting people to go out and get their third jab. And in several European countries now extending the vaccination campaign to its youngest age group, five-to-11-year-olds.

Well, as you've mentioned, we've obviously seen restrictions come into force. In France, for example, New Year's Eve celebrations have been cancelled. Indoor gathering and events in Belgium, strictly restricted now. And Spain, re-imposing its mask mandate. So, there's another -- a number of other European countries taking those tougher measures. Rosemary.

CHURCH: All right. Nada Bashir, many thanks. Joining us live in London. Appreciate it.

Well, with pressure mounting, the Biden administration moves to get more humanitarian aid into Afghanistan. We're back with that in just a moment.

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CHURCH: The Biden administration is lifting restrictions to allow more humanitarian aid into Afghanistan. Eight groups will be exempt from the economic sanctions imposed on the Taliban. The U.S. Treasury Department's action will provide support for educational programs, including teachers' salaries. The U.S. will also send 1 million additional COVID-19 vaccines in the coming weeks. Administration officials say planning is underway at the U.N. to support civil servants beyond teachers.

And those moves come as U.N. aid agencies warn 1 million children are at risk of dying from starvation if relief doesn't arrive soon. Anna Coren reports on the humanitarian efforts. And we must warn you, the images are difficult to watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) [02:40:00]

ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): A little girl sobs. Gently rubbing her ears. In a feeble attempt to ease the pain tormenting her body. She doesn't have the energy to cry the way other sick children do. Camilla is exhausted as she lies in a hospital bed in Kandahar, Southern Afghanistan, slowly starving to death. The two-and-a-half-year-old weighs just over five kilograms. 11 pounds. About a third of what a normal toddler her age should.

Her mother is sick, and we are poor people, explains Camilla's grandmother. She tried to breastfeed, but had no milk to give.

Camilla now one of at least 1 million Afghan children under the age of five at risk of dying from starvation. For months, the U.N. has been sounding the alarm, warning that Afghanistan was on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe.

The Taliban takeover on the 15th of August saw international funds immediately dry up. Triggering an economic collapse in an already impoverished country, where foreign aid represented 43 percent of the country's GDP, and 75 percent of government spending according to the World Bank. But as the U.S. withholds billions of dollars in Afghan reserves, and sanctions are imposed on the Taliban government, the West attempts to force fundamental change within the group are hurting the Afghan people.

And with the country in the grips of winter, facing one of the worst droughts in decades, the most vulnerable are paying the price. In this hospital in Ghor Province in Northwestern Afghanistan, up to 100 mothers and children turn up each day with varying cases of malnutrition.

Dr. Faziluhaq Farjad has been working here for the past six years and has never seen this level of desperation.

DR. FAZILUHAQ FARJAD, HEAD OF MALNUTRITION, GHOR HOSPITAL (through translator): Almost 70 percent of the cases are severe, and this is in the city. Imagine how about the districts are. If nobody pays attention, it's going to get much worse. We are in a disaster.

COREN (voiceover): One of his patients receiving treatment is Razia. This is her third visit to hospital in eight months. Her skeletal frame a clear sign this child who is just few months away from turning three is not getting better.

MUSAFER, RAZIA'S FATHER (through translator): There is no work, no income, no food to bring her. Sometimes we have nothing to eat. Every time I see her, I get upset.

COREN (voiceover): The humanitarian community is collectively issuing an SOS. UNHCR says the country is witnessing truly unprecedented levels of hunger now inflicting more than half its population of 38 million people. International Rescue Committee describes a global system failure fueling the crisis. Naming Afghanistan the most at-risk country of a deteriorating humanitarian crisis in the year ahead. While the International Committee of the Red Cross says the country is on the precipice of man-made catastrophe.

The World Food Programme has been distributing aid around the country, and says the middle-class teachers and civil servants, are now joining the poor in the cues.

MARY-ELLEN MCGROARTY, AFGHANISTAN COUNTRY DIRECTOR, WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME: Please, please think of just the ordinary people of Afghanistan. The children of Afghanistan, who are facing into a winter of abject hunger and destitution through no fault of their own, through just a lottery of birth.

COREN (voiceover): Dr. Paul Spiegel from Johns Hopkins University has returned from Afghanistan, consulting for the World Food Programme and is alarmed by what he saw. He says Afghanistan's health system that once relied on 80 percent of its funding from international donors is now barely functioning. And blames the West sanctions, which are gravely impacting government run hospitals, imploring for the system to be changed.

DR. PAUL SPIEGEL, JOHNS HOPKINS BLOOMBERG SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH: The western governments, U.S., U.K., the E.U., have to make some decisions quickly or it's going to be too late. And therefore, there is going to be a tremendous amount of, I would say, unnecessary deaths.

COREN (voiceover): For little Camilla, her trip her trip to hospital has saved her life for now. After 15 days, she's being discharged with some medicine that may last a few weeks.

She's not very well, but at least she's alive, she says her grandmother. It's better from the first day we brought her here.

But having put on just a few hundred grams only, her faith is as precarious as that of her country, edging closer to the abyss.

Anna Coren, CNN.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[02:45:00]

CHURCH: Dr. Ramiz Alakbarov is the U.N. secretary general deputy special representative for Afghanistan. He joins me now from Kabul.

Thank you, Doctor, for being with us.

DR. RAMIZ ALAKBAROV, U.N. DEPUTY SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR AFGHANISTAN: Thank you for inviting me.

CHURCH: Those images, they are simply shocking, children slowly dying of starvation. What needs to be done right now to change this horrendous situation?

DR. ALAKBAROV: Well, first of all, we have seen yesterday the U.N. Security Council Resolution and new (INAUDIBLE) licenses from the U.S. Treasury. We needed that much asked for flexibility to move forward, to scale our response, to reach to the remote areas, to go to the places we have not been able to reach before and to expand the scope of what it is that we're doing.

We have received now that possibility. We are grateful and we are moving forward. We need money and continued support.

CHURCH: And, Doctor, the U.S. is lifting restriction to allow this more aid to get into Afghanistan. Talk to us about how significant a move like that is.

DR. ALAKBAROV: It is a major move. First of all, we have a very clear way forward, a lot of clarity is provided and the exemptions given are giving all NGOs and all the partners we are working with a clear path to engage. And in broad sectors, including education, including health, agriculture and looking also into the rule of law and basic human needs aspects, it is a very important development. It could not come at a better time because the winter is harsh, and we're seeing, as you saw from the images today, a very difficult situation on the grounds.

CHURCH: Yes. It is simply heartbreaking. And, of course, the challenge here is to provide humanitarian aid without supporting the Taliban. How can that be done?

DR. ALAKBAROV: Well, the vast majority of the population here is not linked anyhow directly to the Taliban or our groups. We are talking about the teachers, we are talking about the social workers, we are talking about health workers. All of those people are there, they have worked hard all these 20 years to earn and to create the savings, to create their livelihoods.

The way working for us now is to engage with the communities, support the livelihoods of farmers on the grounds. Rural Afghanistan is very poor. And that's where the focus needs to be these days, to reach those people in the (INAUDIBLE) to help them through, support health services and to enable them to harvest in the spring.

CHURCH: In the, end though, do you think the International Community will need to lift most of the sanctions that seem to be hurting the Afghan people more than the Taliban?

DR. ALAKBAROV: The sanctions and the flexibilities which we are provided now, this is a constant communication mechanism, because all the International Community is involved in providing this assistance. When we are facing hurdles, we are communicating, we are making it known and we are able to obtain exemptions.

I think there is a lot of goodwill in the United States, in Europe, and all around the world, because nobody wants to see those horrific pictures of children. And it is heartbreaking, trust me. I am visiting those hospitals and interacting with people on a daily basis. We are doing the needful. And again, appreciating the flexibilities we have been provided now.

CHURCH: Dr. Ramiz Alakbarov, thank you so much for talking with us, and we hope to see this situation turned around sooner rather than later. Appreciate you talking with us.

DR. ALAKBAROV: Thank you very much and thank you for covering Afghanistan and supporting the people of Afghanistan at this time.

CHURCH: Of course, thank you so much.

Well, it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas here in the United States. But for some parts of the country, it may feel more like a tropical Christmas than a winter wonderland. What you can expect when we come back.

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CHURCH: One person is confirmed dead, at least 50 others are believed to be missing after a landslide at the jade mine in Myanmar. It happened on Wednesday, sweeping dozens of workers into a lake and burying them under debris. Pictures showed firefighters looking for survivors, with victims, families watching from the shore, hoping their loved ones would be found alive.

But some rescue workers say that that is not likely. Deadly accidents are common in Myanmar's jade industry. At least six people were reported killed last weekend in a separate landslide.

So, here it is, almost Christmas. And many in the U.S. are turning on the air conditioners instead of fireplaces. Record high temperatures are predicted across the southern part of the country.

Our meteorologist, Tyler Mauldin, joins us now to talk more about this.

Good to see you, Tyler.

So, it is a strange world we are living in right now, isn't it? What can we expect to see across the U.S. in terms of weather conditions for the holidays?

TYLER MAULDIN, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, is it winter or is it spring? It's hard to tell outside right now.

As you can see with the map behind me, some of us, especially from the Central Plains down to the Southern Plains, we'll be dealing with temperatures in the 70s and 80s for highs today. And eventually, that will start to migrate its way to the East. In fact, I think, two thirds of the country will be seeing temperatures about 20 degrees above average by the time we get to Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

[02:55:00]

Let's look at Atlanta Georgia, where you can see, temperatures are going to shoot up to 70 degrees by the time we get to this weekend and those temperatures are going to continue to hover around 70 degrees or so, if not warmer for afternoon highs on into next week too. Now, not only is it not going to feel so much like Christmas across the Southeast, but we don't have to worry about weather worries or travel worries in that part of the country. Can't say the same about other parts of the country, though. We have moderate to major and if not extreme impacts across the West Coast today. And then, we have that spread and push a little farther to the East once we get into Friday.

So, we do expect some travel impacts across the West Coast in the next couple of days, leading into Christmas, and it's because of this area of low pressure pushing towards to the East. It's going to tap into some moisture across the Pacific and that spells a lot of in the way of rainfall as well as snowfall across the West Coast, Rosemary.

And coming up next hour, we will be talking about the temperatures a little bit more.

CHURCH: All right. Look forward to that. Tyler Mauldin, many thanks as well.

Well, while the U.S. is heating up, parts of India have been cooling down as they experience a winter chill. Temperatures drop to 5 degrees Celsius this week in New Delhi, one of the coldest days this season, and even in one of the comparatively balmy regions of the country, one national park bundled up its baby elephants in blankets to protect them from the chill.

I'm Rosemary Church. Thank you so much for your company. And I will be back in just a moment with more world news. Stay with us here on CNN Newsroom.

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