UN Appeals For $140M To Assist Afghan Quake Victims

KABUL (Pajhwok): The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) says the UN has appealed to the international community for nearly 140 million US dollars to meet the urgent needs of victims of the recent devastating earthquake in eastern Afghanistan.

UNAMA wrote on its Facebook page that the UN launched a four-month emergency response plan for US$139.6 million for Afghanistan so that humanitarian organizations could help 457,000 people affected by last week's earthquake in the eastern region.

“This is a moment where the international community must dig deep and show solidarity with a population that has already endured so much suffering”, said Indrika Ratwatte, Humanitarian Coordinator for Afghanistan.”

He said:“With winter fast approaching, we are in a race against time to support affected communities with just the bare minimum. The resilience of the Afghan people has been continually tested and there is a real danger, with each crisis that hits, that the fragile gains made in recent years will be reversed”.

Almost 500,000 people in Kunar, Laghman and Nangarhar provinces of eastern Afghanistan have been directly impacted by the earthquake, with over 2,200 people having lost their lives and a further 3,600 injured as of September7 according to reports from the de Afghan authorities.

The initial earthquake of 6+ magnitude and three aftershocks of almost similar intensity all struck during the night, leaving thousands of people – including small children and elderly people – with just the clothes on their bodies.

More than 6,700 homes were destroyed or damaged. Most families have lost their food stock and are sheltering in the open in unsafe, makeshift conditions – without privacy and exposed to the elements. Access to clean water and medical care are limited. Sanitation infrastructure, health facilities, schools, and other essential services have also been damaged or destroyed by the earthquakes.

The UN and its partners have begun relief operations in the hardest-hit areas, reinforcing response efforts already ongoing by the Afghan authorities, delivering ready-to-eat meals, tents, warm clothing, blankets and other essential non-food items to people in need, providing fresh water and dispatching mobile health and nutrition teams along with medical supplies.

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