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Earthquakes

Devastating Earthquake Strikes Afghanistan, Killing Over 800 and Injuring 2,800

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

A 6-magnitude earthquake struck the eastern provinces of Kunar and Nangarhar, killing 812 people and injuring at least 2,800. The disaster has further overwhelmed the resources of the war-torn nation's Taliban administration, already struggling with a sharp drop in foreign aid and deportations of hundreds of thousands of Afghans. The international community is being urged to provide aid to tackle the devastation, with authorities acknowledging that many areas are cut off from mobile networks and that the risk of landslides and rock slides is significant due to heavy rain in the past 24-48 hours.

Key Takeaways:

  • The earthquake, which struck at a depth of 10 km, killed 812 people in the eastern provinces of Kunar and Nangarhar.
  • The disaster has further stretched the resources of the Taliban administration, already grappling with crises ranging from a sharp drop in foreign aid to deportations of hundreds of thousands of Afghans.
  • International aid is crucial to tackle the devastation, with authorities struggling to reach remote areas due to rough mountainous terrain and inclement weather.
  • The United Nations estimates that more than half the population of Afghanistan is in urgent need of humanitarian aid, with humanitarian agencies fighting a "forgotten crisis" in the country.
  • Foreign governments have been slow to respond, with no foreign governments having reached out to provide support for rescue or relief work, except for China, which has offered to provide disaster relief assistance "according to Afghanistan's needs and within its capacity."
  • India has delivered 1,000 family tents to Kabul and is moving 15 tonnes of food material to Kunar, with more relief material to be sent from India starting Tuesday.
  • The international community, including the United Nations, is mobilizing to provide assistance, with efforts focusing on security, food, and health support.

Statistics:

  • Death toll: 812 people
  • Injured: at least 2,800 people
  • Number of villages affected: 3
  • Number of people displaced: hundreds of thousands
  • Funding for humanitarian aid in Afghanistan: $767 million this year, down from $3.8 billion in 2022
  • Percentage of the population in urgent need of humanitarian aid: more than 50%

Sources:

  • Reuters, citing Sharafat Zaman, spokesperson for the health ministry in Kabul, Sharafat Zaman, spokesperson for the health ministry in Kabul, on Monday: "We need it because here lots of people lost their lives and houses."
  • Reuters, citing Zabihullah Mujahid, administration spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, on Monday: The quake killed 812 people in the eastern provinces of Kunar and Nangarhar.
  • Reuters, citing Kate Carey, an officer at the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA): "The area of the earthquake was affected by heavy rain in the last 24-48 hours as well, so the risk of landslides and rock slides is also quite significant - that is why many of the roads are impassable."
  • Reuters, citing health ministry spokesperson, Abdul Maten Qanee, on Monday: "All our ... teams have been mobilised to accelerate assistance, so that comprehensive and full support can be provided."
  • Reuters, citing defence ministry statement: "Military rescue teams fanned out across the region, the defence ministry said in a statement, with 40 flights carrying away 420 wounded and dead."
  • Reuters, citing United Nations official: "It was Afghanistan's third major deadly quake since the Taliban took over in 2021..."

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