Afghanistan: More homes destroyed as another earthquake strikes Herat province

Following a series of devastating quakes on Saturday, authorities were forced to redeploy relief and rescue workers already on the ground after a major earthquake shook Afghanistan’s western province of Herat on Wednesday. Provincial officials said that hundreds of homes had been demolished, but disaster management spokesperson Janan Sayeeq told Reuters that there were no current figures on casualties. Without providing further information, the governor of Herat’s administration claimed that some localities had sustained “huge losses.” “Mobile medical teams and officials have been working together and have transferred several injured people to hospital,” the governor’s office said in a statement. The Taliban-run administration reported that more than 2,000 people were injured and at least 2,400 people died in Saturday’s tremors, making them one of the deadliest in the globe so far this year. According to the World Health Organisation, women and children made up the majority of those killed in the earthquake. The most recent earthquake, according to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), was magnitude 6.3 and occurred at a depth of 10 km (6.21 miles). Strong earthquakes have historically struck Afghanistan, which is surrounded by mountains, many of them in the untamed Hindu Kush region that borders Pakistan. Iran, which announced it will send relief, borders the province of Herat. At least 200 homes were partially or entirely demolished in the central Rubat Sangi region, according to Governor Noor Ahmad Shahab, who also noted that residents had experienced “huge financial losses” as a result of the earthquakes that occurred on Saturday. According to him, no casualties have been reported thus far because many residents were already sleeping in tents or the open due to past earthquakes. “People need urgent aid,” Shahab said, adding that survivors were falling ill from the colder autumn weather. The infrastructure destroyed by decades of conflict and a lack of foreign help, which formerly supported the economy but has dried up since the Taliban gained power, have hindered relief and rescue efforts after the earthquakes on Saturday. Significant changes have also been made to Afghanistan’s healthcare system, which is heavily dependent on international help. In addition to the 89 million euros in humanitarian aid previously planned for 2023, the European Union announced it would give 2.5 million euros ($2.65 million) to partners working to deliver relief. Along with other relief items, it also provided hygiene kits, winter tents, and shelter kit. Food, blankets, medications, tents, and money have already been committed to by Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, and China. Additionally, $5 million in aid has been announced by the UN’s humanitarian office. (With agency inputs)