On June 22, 2022, an earthquake of magnitude 5.9 hit eastern Afghanistan causing extreme damage. After one day, a reported 1,000 people were killed along with 1,500 injured. 20 million people were affected by the earthquake.
The earthquake caused hunger and economic issues throughout Afghanistan in general. Accompanied with the issues from the Taliban power control, the economy is in a very poor state. International reserves worth over $7 billion have been frozen due to the Taliban, and the earthquake has only further worsened the economy. An ongoing drought as well as donors hesitant to drop supplies in, has caused hunger issues throughout the country. US State Department spokesperson Ned Price stated that he was “not aware of any request for assistance that the United States government has received from the Taliban.” The Gayan district had the worst damage, with 200 killed and 100 injured in Gayan alone. With 1,800 homes destroyed or damaged, which is 70% of the district’s housing, Gayan has some heavy bills to pay.
The earthquake has affected many families, one of which is Yasin Jan. “Aid has also arrived, but this aid should not be only for two or three days,” said Yasin Jan. His father, wife, two children, four siblings, a sister-in-law, and two nieces and nephews, and six other members of his family were taken to the hospital with grave injuries.
In another village, less than a mile away from Yasin Jan’s village, 48-year-old Muran Khan had his entire village turned to rubble by the earthquake. “There were 18 houses in our village, and all turned into rubble after the earthquake…. Our homes are destroyed. Villagers of the Gayan District are in dire need of houses … We are destitute. I don’t have even 1,00 afghanis ($11) in my pocket. How will I construct a new house?”
Heavy rain and wind has also caused great difficulty in rescue operations, which was “hampering efforts with helicopters reportedly unable to land this afternoon [June, 22, 2022]”.
The US is currently in touch with humanitarian partners to support Afghanistan, but much of the rehabilitation is dependent on Afghanistan, whose Prime Minister Mullah Mohammed Hassan Akhand reportedly “dedicated 100 million Afghanis to urgently addressing the families situation of Tuesday’s night.” Medical care and additional financial aid ($55 million) have been provided to Afghanistan as support.
Many US officials have expressed their sorrow at damage caused by the earthquake. “We are deeply saddened by reports of an earthquake in eastern Afghanistan,” the Twitter account for the US Embassy in Kabul posted Wednesday. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken “expresses deep sorrow for the victims of today’s [June 22, 2022] devastating earthquake in Afghanistan, and we offer our sympathy and prayers to those who lost loved ones in the tragedy.”
Sources:
https://www.cnn.com/asia/live-news/afghanistan-earthquake/index.html
https://www.state.gov/assistance-for-afghanistan-to-respond-to-june-22-earthquake/
https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news/2022/06/29/Afghanistan-natural-disaster-conflict-earthquakes
The earthquake caused hunger and economic issues throughout Afghanistan in general. Accompanied with the issues from the Taliban power control, the economy is in a very poor state. International reserves worth over $7 billion have been frozen due to the Taliban, and the earthquake has only further worsened the economy. An ongoing drought as well as donors hesitant to drop supplies in, has caused hunger issues throughout the country. US State Department spokesperson Ned Price stated that he was “not aware of any request for assistance that the United States government has received from the Taliban.” The Gayan district had the worst damage, with 200 killed and 100 injured in Gayan alone. With 1,800 homes destroyed or damaged, which is 70% of the district’s housing, Gayan has some heavy bills to pay.
The earthquake has affected many families, one of which is Yasin Jan. “Aid has also arrived, but this aid should not be only for two or three days,” said Yasin Jan. His father, wife, two children, four siblings, a sister-in-law, and two nieces and nephews, and six other members of his family were taken to the hospital with grave injuries.
In another village, less than a mile away from Yasin Jan’s village, 48-year-old Muran Khan had his entire village turned to rubble by the earthquake. “There were 18 houses in our village, and all turned into rubble after the earthquake…. Our homes are destroyed. Villagers of the Gayan District are in dire need of houses … We are destitute. I don’t have even 1,00 afghanis ($11) in my pocket. How will I construct a new house?”
Heavy rain and wind has also caused great difficulty in rescue operations, which was “hampering efforts with helicopters reportedly unable to land this afternoon [June, 22, 2022]”.
The US is currently in touch with humanitarian partners to support Afghanistan, but much of the rehabilitation is dependent on Afghanistan, whose Prime Minister Mullah Mohammed Hassan Akhand reportedly “dedicated 100 million Afghanis to urgently addressing the families situation of Tuesday’s night.” Medical care and additional financial aid ($55 million) have been provided to Afghanistan as support.
Many US officials have expressed their sorrow at damage caused by the earthquake. “We are deeply saddened by reports of an earthquake in eastern Afghanistan,” the Twitter account for the US Embassy in Kabul posted Wednesday. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken “expresses deep sorrow for the victims of today’s [June 22, 2022] devastating earthquake in Afghanistan, and we offer our sympathy and prayers to those who lost loved ones in the tragedy.”
Sources:
https://www.cnn.com/asia/live-news/afghanistan-earthquake/index.html
https://www.state.gov/assistance-for-afghanistan-to-respond-to-june-22-earthquake/
https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news/2022/06/29/Afghanistan-natural-disaster-conflict-earthquakes
