A powerful 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan on Sunday, killing over 900 people and injuring thousands. The United Nations has warned that the casualty rate is likely to rise exponentially, with potentially hundreds of thousands of individuals impacted.
Indrika Ratwatte, the UN humanitarian coordinator in Afghanistan, emphasized the severity of the situation, stating, “We think potentially the impacted individuals would go up to almost into the hundreds of thousands.”
The earthquake’s epicenter was located about 27 kilometers from the city of Jalalabad, with the quake striking approximately eight kilometers below the Earth’s surface.
According to Ratwatte, the shallow depth of the quake has caused significant damage, particularly due to the prevalence of low-rise, mud-brick homes in the affected region.
“Homes in the affected region were largely mud and wooden roof structures, so when the walls collapse, the roof is what basically for the individuals kills them or suffocates them,” he explained.
Rescue efforts are underway, with helicopters being deployed to reach remote areas cut off by damaged roads and landslides. Ratwatte highlighted the challenges posed by limited access, stating, “the biggest challenge is to reach these remote areas with the road access extremely damaged.”
The UN is working with authorities to swiftly assess needs, provide emergency assistance, and mobilize additional support.
Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries in the world, facing a protracted humanitarian crisis and a massive influx of returnees from neighboring countries.
Ratwatte urged countries to show solidarity with the people of Afghanistan, facing multiple crises and shocks. He also lamented that an appeal for $2.8 billion to provide desperately needed aid to Afghans this year was only 28% funded.
As the situation continues to unfold, the death toll has risen to over 1,400, with thousands more injured. The international community is rallying to provide support, with India delivering 1,000 family tents to Kabul and moving 15 tonnes of food material to Kunar.
The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has also announced an initial $5 million allocation to support relief efforts.
The devastating 6.0-magnitude earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan on Sunday has resulted in an alarming number of casualties, with the death toll currently standing at over 1,400 and thousands more injured.
The United Nations has sounded the alarm, warning that the casualty rate is likely to rise exponentially, potentially impacting hundreds of thousands of individuals.
The earthquake’s epicenter was located about 27 kilometers from the city of Jalalabad, with the quake striking approximately eight kilometers below the Earth’s surface.
According to Indrika Ratwatte, the UN humanitarian coordinator in Afghanistan, the shallow depth of the quake has caused significant damage, particularly due to the prevalence of low-rise, mud-brick homes in the affected region.
“Homes in the affected region were largely mud and wooden roof structures, so when the walls collapse, the roof is what basically for the individuals kills them or suffocates them,” Ratwatte explained.
Rescue efforts are underway, with helicopters deployed to reach remote areas cut off by damaged roads and landslides. Ratwatte highlighted the challenges posed by limited access, stating that “the biggest challenge is to reach these remote areas with the road access extremely damaged.”
The UN is working with authorities to swiftly assess needs, provide emergency assistance, and mobilize additional support.
The international community is rallying to provide support, with India delivering 1,000 family tents to Kabul and moving 15 tonnes of food material to Kunar. The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has announced an initial $5 million allocation to support relief efforts.
However, Ratwatte urged countries to show solidarity with the people of Afghanistan, facing multiple crises and shocks, and lamented that an appeal for $2.8 billion to provide desperately needed aid to Afghans this year was only 28% funded.
Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries globally, grappling with a protracted humanitarian crisis and a massive influx of returnees from neighboring countries.
The country’s vulnerability to natural disasters, combined with its ongoing humanitarian crisis, has raised concerns about the ability of families and health services to cope with the aftermath of the earthquake.