A magnitude six earthquake has resulted in over 800 deaths and at least 2,000 injuries, with the overall impact potentially affecting “hundreds of thousands,” according to Indrika Ratwatte, the UN’s chief aid officer in the country.
From Kabul, Mr. Ratwatte noted that mud and wooden roof structures are prevalent in the affected mountainous regions.
“When the walls collapse, the roof is what essentially falls on individuals, causing fatalities or suffocation,” he stated. “Since this occurred at night, everyone was asleep,” indicating that many more may be trapped under the rubble.
Massive Loss of Homes and Livestock
Hundreds of thousands might be affected in terms of destroyed homes, injuries, casualties, lost livestock, and disrupted livelihoods, Mr. Ratwatte described.
In the critical first 24 hours post-earthquake, access was “very limited” due to landslides and rockfalls from the tremors. Some roads were already blocked by previous rockslides from recent heavy rain.
“This presents a major challenge as we mobilize,” Mr. Ratwatte claimed, highlighting that 20 emergency assessment teams and 15 mobile teams are deployed “to boost humanitarian flights from Kabul to Jalalabad,” the capital of the hard-hit Nangarhar province.
The UN Humanitarian Air Service has arranged additional flights between Kabul and Jalalabad for personnel and cargo to ramp up the response.
The aid official mentioned efforts by the UN and others to establish or repair damaged mobile networks as some affected communities have “zero connectivity,” complicating helicopter landings and other logistical operations.
“It’s not easy to reach these areas and transport injured individuals,” he stated.
Disease Threat
Mr. Ratwatte emphasized the need for protection work, “including psychosocial support for those who lost family and loved ones.” He also highlighted the urgency of disposing of bodies and dead livestock to prevent waterborne diseases, which can spread rapidly.
The Afghan Red Crescent was among the first responders in the impacted areas. Joy Singhal, Acting Head of Delegation for Afghanistan at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), said more lives could have been saved if road access were better.
“Our staff and volunteers sometimes need to walk four to five hours to reach some remote villages,” he noted. After reaching their destination, “they have to walk back to bring those affected and wounded to the city center…the two hospitals there are overwhelmed.”
Those in remote mountainous earthquake-hit areas urgently need tents, tarpaulins, and blankets for protection from the cold highland weather. Hot meals and food are also necessary, mentioned Amy Martin, Head of the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, in Afghanistan. Mobile health teams have been dispatched to some affected districts, but they “will be in short supply,” she added. “Ensuring trauma care and initial first aid is critical.”
Disaster, Again
Afghanistan has long faced what Mr. Ratwatte called “systemic humanitarian challenges.” Half of its population – approximately 22.5 million people – require assistance, with food insecurity worsened by recent droughts. Extensive funding cuts to humanitarian programs this year have led to the closure of “hundreds” of aid facilities.
“The earthquake strikes when vulnerable communities are highly exposed to additional stresses,” Mr. Ratwatte remarked.
Another major issue is the 2025 return of 2.4 million Afghan refugees from Iran and Pakistan, whom communities within the country have been “struggling to integrate,” stated Babar Baloch, UNHCR spokesperson.
“More than half of these are deportations, individuals forced onto buses and other transport, left at borders to return home, further straining our support capabilities,” Mr. Baloch said.
Deported Regardless
He stressed that most returnees are heading to earthquake-affected areas. In another “concerning” development, Sunday marked “the end of the grace period for registered Afghan refugees in Pakistan,” and UNHCR is preparing for “substantially more returns” soon.
“These individuals, already with minimal resources, are now returning to a disaster zone,” Mr. Baloch said.
“We are at a breaking point concerning our response to multiple humanitarian shocks in the country,” insisted Mr. Ratwatte.
The $2.4 billion humanitarian response plan for Afghanistan for 2025 is only 28 percent funded, “and now we face an emergency on top of the crisis situation,” he concluded.
Life-saving supplies are being packed and shipped from the UNICEF Global Supply Hub in Copenhagen, Denmark, to support the emergency response to the Afghanistan earthquake.
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