2023-10-11 10:10:00
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake has once again shaken western Afghanistan. More than 2,000 people died in earthquakes over the weekend. The United Nations is now warning of a famine in the country.
The earth shook again in Afghanistan early this morning. According to the US Earthquake Observatory USGS, the quake – like the one at the weekend – had a magnitude of 6.3, and there were several aftershocks. The epicenter was about 28 kilometers northwest of the city of Herat, where more than half a million people live.
It is still unclear how many victims there will be as a result of the new quake. At least one person was killed, an emergency service representative said. The Afghan Ministry of Information said at least 80 were injured, while Doctors Without Borders said that almost 120 injured people had been admitted to the hospital in Herat alone.
According to official information, places that were spared from the first quake at the weekend were also destroyed. All 700 houses in the town of Chahak were destroyed. However, no deaths were reported there as residents were said to have sought refuge in tents for fear of aftershocks.
Thousands dead after quake on Saturday
On Saturday morning, at least eight quakes shook the same region within a short period of time. According to the Taliban, more than 2,000 people died. More than 2,000 others were injured. The UN emergency relief office OCHA, however, had previously put the number of deaths at more than 1,000. Accordingly, at least eleven villages were “100 percent” destroyed. Many people spent the past few nights on the streets for fear of aftershocks.
There are frequent severe earthquakes in the region where the Arabian, Indian and Eurasian plates meet. More than 1,000 people died in a devastating earthquake in Afghanistan in 2022. After several decades of conflict, many houses are poorly built. Earthquakes therefore often cause great damage.
World Food Program warns of famine
Since the Taliban came to power two years ago, the humanitarian situation on site has worsened. In addition, financial aid from abroad has declined since then. According to the World Food Program (WFP), there is a risk of famine in the country. “The situation is pretty hopeless,” said WFP regional director for Asia and the Pacific, John Aylieff, to the Germany editorial network.
The financial resources available for Afghanistan have fallen sharply. “Humanitarian aid programs are drastically underfunded,” he said. The WFP has 80 percent less money for Afghanistan than last year, emphasized Aylieff. Instead of 1.6 billion US dollars, only 340 million US dollars would be available for Afghanistan. “15 million people in Afghanistan are currently suffering from hunger, we wanted to reach at least 13 million. Due to a lack of financing, we had to cut off aid to ten million people.”
The WFP regional director warned: “This is becoming particularly critical now: winter is coming, and winter is brutal in Afghanistan.” Some mountain villages are cut off from the outside world by the snow for up to six months. “They can’t survive without supplies.”
In Herat, 100,000 people need help
Aylieff said he expected dire consequences: “Of course people will flee. But above all, more people will die.” The UN representative called on the international community to increase its support for Afghanistan: “Even if the Taliban make many highly problematic decisions, humanity must come first.”
Support for Afghanistan has fallen significantly more compared to aid for other countries. “This does not meet the need in any way,” he emphasized. “We appeal to all governments and private donors to provide more support to Afghanistan again.” In the earthquake region of Herat alone, it is expected that up to 100,000 people will need help in the coming months. In addition to a lack of food, there is a need for medical care and accommodation.
1697019678
#severe #earthquake #Afghanistan