Last Wednesday, a devastating magnitude 5.9 earthquake hit two provinces in Afghanistan, causing more than 1,000 fatalities and 1,600 injuries. Around 2,000 homes were reported to have been destroyed.
The earthquake was reported by the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to have struck central Afghanistan at around 1:30 am. The Patika and the Khost provinces were the most affected. Neighboring cities including Kabul and Islamabad, and countries such as Pakistan and India also felt the impact.
U.N. agencies have rushed to aid Afghanistan however they can.
“The United Nations in Afghanistan is fully mobilized. Our teams are already on the ground assessing the needs and providing initial support,” António Guterres, the U.N. Secretary-General said.
Immediate needs include temporary shelter, food, water, sanitation, trauma care, and emergency health care for those injured.
“We are concerned about not just non-food items and getting people into shelters and providing medical supplies, but also preventing water-borne diseases,” said Dr. Ramiz Alakbarov, the Humanitarian Coordinator for Afghanistan. “And that could be a very, very unwelcome scenario.”
The Afghan government is doing all it can to serve the immediate needs of those impacted, OCHA reported. The government has provided five helicopters, more than 45 ambulances, and a medical team to help patients who need emergency treatment.
So far, ten tons of medical supplies and medicines have been sent by the World Health Organization (WHO) to the affected region, as well as several teams of doctors, surgeons, and medical personnel. The WHO also sent psychological support for families affected by the earthquake.
“Every life lost in this latest disaster facing the people of Afghanistan is one life too many. Every life lost represents someone’s mother, father, child, friend or neighbour. Our response, and that of all health partners on the ground, is to treat the injured, save lives, and minimize the risk of death and disease in the aftermath of this tragedy,” said Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, the WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean.
As families mourn for their losses, we begin to see the devastation the earthquake has caused. Hawa, a 30-year-old mother, lost four of her children and 17 other relatives to the earthquake. Gulpar Khan, from a village in the Patika Province, had lost five of his children and six other relatives.
Sources:
http://www.emro.who.int/media/news/who-scales-up-health-response-after-afghanistan-earthquake.html?format=html
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/06/23/world/afghanistan-earthquake
https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/06/1120992
The earthquake was reported by the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to have struck central Afghanistan at around 1:30 am. The Patika and the Khost provinces were the most affected. Neighboring cities including Kabul and Islamabad, and countries such as Pakistan and India also felt the impact.
U.N. agencies have rushed to aid Afghanistan however they can.
“The United Nations in Afghanistan is fully mobilized. Our teams are already on the ground assessing the needs and providing initial support,” António Guterres, the U.N. Secretary-General said.
Immediate needs include temporary shelter, food, water, sanitation, trauma care, and emergency health care for those injured.
“We are concerned about not just non-food items and getting people into shelters and providing medical supplies, but also preventing water-borne diseases,” said Dr. Ramiz Alakbarov, the Humanitarian Coordinator for Afghanistan. “And that could be a very, very unwelcome scenario.”
The Afghan government is doing all it can to serve the immediate needs of those impacted, OCHA reported. The government has provided five helicopters, more than 45 ambulances, and a medical team to help patients who need emergency treatment.
So far, ten tons of medical supplies and medicines have been sent by the World Health Organization (WHO) to the affected region, as well as several teams of doctors, surgeons, and medical personnel. The WHO also sent psychological support for families affected by the earthquake.
“Every life lost in this latest disaster facing the people of Afghanistan is one life too many. Every life lost represents someone’s mother, father, child, friend or neighbour. Our response, and that of all health partners on the ground, is to treat the injured, save lives, and minimize the risk of death and disease in the aftermath of this tragedy,” said Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, the WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean.
As families mourn for their losses, we begin to see the devastation the earthquake has caused. Hawa, a 30-year-old mother, lost four of her children and 17 other relatives to the earthquake. Gulpar Khan, from a village in the Patika Province, had lost five of his children and six other relatives.
Sources:
http://www.emro.who.int/media/news/who-scales-up-health-response-after-afghanistan-earthquake.html?format=html
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/06/23/world/afghanistan-earthquake
https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/06/1120992
