The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has issued a stark warning, revealing that Afghanistan is grappling with an escalating humanitarian crisis in the wake of the consecutive earthquakes that have targeted the country’s western provinces.
The IFRC has reiterated its urgent call for international support for the earthquake-affected people, underscoring that their previous appeal for 120 million Swiss Francs remains critically underfunded, with only 36 percent of the required funds raised.
Alexander Matheou, IFRC Regional Director for Asia Pacific, described the situation on the ground as “a chilling scene.”
“Three affected villages, which I visited two days ago, have been reduced to absolute rubble, with not a single house left standing,” he stated. “Our teams on the ground report similar devastation in several other villages. These initial observations highlight that the full extent of the damage is yet to be fully realized.”
On October 7, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck the Zindajan district of Herat, resulting in over 2,400 casualties, including fatalities and more than 2,000 injuries. Another earthquake of the same magnitude occurred on October 11.
Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, conveyed in a press conference that one person died and 140 others were injured in the second earthquake on October 11 in Herat.
“The International Organization for Migration distributed humanitarian aid to 930 families in the affected area and at sites in Herat city accommodating families displaced by the disaster,” he stated. “This aid includes shelter assistance for over 700 families whose homes were entirely destroyed by the earthquakes.”
Meanwhile, the United States’ Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Thomas West, announced that the US is providing $12 million in immediate humanitarian assistance in response to the earthquakes that struck northwestern Afghanistan on October 7 and 11. He emphasized that this aid would provide essential supplies, including safe drinking water, emergency shelter kits, materials for cooking and water collection, and blankets.
Xu Wei, a spokesperson for the China International Development Cooperation Agency of China, revealed that Beijing would provide emergency humanitarian assistance of 30 million yuan ($4.11 million) to earthquake-hit Afghanistan.
Some residents of Zindajan expressed concerns to Amu, stating that almost every family in the district has been affected and criticizing what they perceive as unfair distribution of aid.
The combined humanitarian assistance grants announced by the European Union, the United States, Australia, and China for the earthquake-affected people have reached a total of over $25 million.
Furthermore, several other countries, including the UAE and Turkey, have provided food and emergency material assistance in response to the crisis.
