Last Wednesday, June 22, one of the deadliest earthquakes struck Afghanistan, killing over 1,000 people and injuring several more.
The earthquake hit around 1:30 a.m., after people were still in bed sleeping. Many homes and buildings were destroyed, especially because most homes were built out of mud.
Gayan, Nika, Barmal and Zirok, Afghanistan provinces, were located at the epicenter of the earthquake and hit the hardest. It was mostly rural areas that suffered the most because of weak housing and little protection from the earthquake.
Many people are now homeless, living in absolute poverty, and mourning their loved ones who were lost in the earthquake.
Abdul Hanan, an Afghan who lost many relatives to the earthquake, stated, “Now there is nothing — our houses are destroyed, we have nothing to eat, nothing to drink, nothing.”
The United Nations are also warning Afghanistan of a risk of a Cholera outbreak, especially because of the lack of sanitation and the risk of diseases after the earthquake.
This earthquake is also a major challenge for the Taliban, a group that took power in Afghanistan after an extensive war and the collapse of the western government.
The Taliban called an emergency meeting to send aid to the areas that were affected and asked for help from other countries. The United States and the United Nations took steps to help Afghanistan by delivering medical care and shelter supplies
Although Afghanistan has been hit hard by this earthquake, Afghans are working together to rebuild their homes and hopefully return to their lives once again.
Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/06/23/world/afghanistan-earthquake#why-was-a-moderately-strong-earthquake-so-deadly
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-61890804
https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/22/asia/afghanistan-khost-earthquake-intl-hnk/index.html
The earthquake hit around 1:30 a.m., after people were still in bed sleeping. Many homes and buildings were destroyed, especially because most homes were built out of mud.
Gayan, Nika, Barmal and Zirok, Afghanistan provinces, were located at the epicenter of the earthquake and hit the hardest. It was mostly rural areas that suffered the most because of weak housing and little protection from the earthquake.
Many people are now homeless, living in absolute poverty, and mourning their loved ones who were lost in the earthquake.
Abdul Hanan, an Afghan who lost many relatives to the earthquake, stated, “Now there is nothing — our houses are destroyed, we have nothing to eat, nothing to drink, nothing.”
The United Nations are also warning Afghanistan of a risk of a Cholera outbreak, especially because of the lack of sanitation and the risk of diseases after the earthquake.
This earthquake is also a major challenge for the Taliban, a group that took power in Afghanistan after an extensive war and the collapse of the western government.
The Taliban called an emergency meeting to send aid to the areas that were affected and asked for help from other countries. The United States and the United Nations took steps to help Afghanistan by delivering medical care and shelter supplies
Although Afghanistan has been hit hard by this earthquake, Afghans are working together to rebuild their homes and hopefully return to their lives once again.
Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/06/23/world/afghanistan-earthquake#why-was-a-moderately-strong-earthquake-so-deadly
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-61890804
https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/22/asia/afghanistan-khost-earthquake-intl-hnk/index.html
