UN official describes Afghanistan earthquake as 'crisis within a crisis’

LONDON

A devastating earthquake in eastern Afghanistan has struck at a time of multiple crises for that country, the UN said Tuesday.

The magnitude 6.0 quake hit Kunar province late Sunday, with UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Afghanistan, Indrika Ratwatte, saying the number of casualties and injured is expected to rise.

“So, looking at the stats, looking at the remoteness and the topography, which is extremely challenging and remote, potentially the impacted individuals could go up to almost into the hundreds of thousands. So far, we know around 12,000 individuals have been directly impacted in these provinces. And if you look at these provinces as a whole, around 3 million people inhabit these provinces. So, the density, while remote, is also quite high," he said.

Ratwatte said at an online UN Geneva Office media briefing that 20 emergency assessment teams have been deployed to affected areas.

“However, the biggest challenge is to reach these remote areas, with the road access extremely damaged. We need helicopters, and because fixing aircraft cannot do the job. The government has responded by deploying three helicopters constantly to evacuate individuals who are injured, deploy search and rescue teams and medical teams. We are in close coordination with the Afghan national disaster management entity and relevant ministries to coordinate the response. We have a joint approach to this emergency," said Ratwatte.

He outlined the immediate needs for those affected, including “emergency shelter, non-food items, food assistance for the populations affected, and very important medical assistance coming from IV fluids, saline, bandages and to deal with the injured.”

Ratwatte described the wider context: “This is a crisis within a crisis. Just this year, we've had over 1.7 million Afghans returning from Iran and Pakistan. This year we've had a drought with very low rainfall, impacting 70% of the population. On top of that, devastating funding cuts for the humanitarian and basic assistance programs in this country. So, the earthquake comes at a time when vulnerable communities are going to be super exposed to additional stresses, shocks and vulnerabilities.”

He warned about a dire funding situation. “The Afghanistan Humanitarian Response Plan in September remains funded only at 28%. This is rather dire, to say the least," he said.

The death toll from the quake climbed to more than 1,400, interim-administration spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Tuesday.

At least 3,251 people have been injured across four eastern provinces, while the quake destroyed more than 8,000 houses. The Afghan Red Crescent said many more are trapped while rescue operations are continuing.

The worst-hit Kunar province reported 1,411 deaths, with 3,124 injured, while 5,412 houses were destroyed.

The number of deaths could rise further as authorities share data from the provinces of Nangarhar, Laghman and Panjshir.

It is the third major quake to hit the war-torn nation since the return of the Afghan Taliban to power in August 2021.