(CNN)Thursday, desperate search and rescue in eastern Afghanistan after an earthquake wherekilled more than 1,000 people The activity was in progress. People, a big blow to countries already facing dire economic and humanitarian crises. The
magnitude 5.9 earthquake occurred early Wednesday near the city of Khost near the Pakistani border. At least 1,500 people have been reported injured, but officials warn that many families were sleeping in flimsy housing structures at the time of the quake, which could lead to more casualties.
Many homes in the area are made of mud, wood and other materials that are susceptible to weather damage. The quake coincided with the heavy monsoon rain, increasing the risk of collapse.
Photos from nearby Paktika, a rural and mountainous region where most of the deaths have been reported, show that the houses are rubble. According to the United Nations, about 2,000 homes are believed to have been destroyed. When rescue teams searched for survivors with flashlights, some people slept in a makeshift outdoor shelter and spent the night.
With the support of several international organizations such as the World Health Organization, medics and rescuers from all over the country are gathering at the scene.
However, aid may be limited as many organizations withdraw from aid-dependent countries after the Taliban seized power last August.
The Taliban government has deployed emergency resources, including several helicopters and dozens of ambulances, to provide compensation to the victims' families.
He also called for foreign aid on Wednesday, calling for "generous support from all countries, international organizations, individuals and foundations."
Limited international aid
The earthquake exacerbated the problems already plagued Afghanistan.
As a result of the conflict and drought, the economic crisis has been imminent for years, but after the Taliban takeover, the United States and its allies will freeze about $ 7 billion in the country's foreign exchange reserves. became. And cut off international funding.
There are few aid agencies left, and the remaining aid agencies are growing thinly. On Wednesday, WHO said it had mobilized "all resources" from across the country and that ground teams provided medical and emergency assistance. However, as one WHO official said, "resources are overused here, not just in this area."
Experts and officials say that the most pressing needs include medical care and transportation for the injured, shelters and supplies for refugees, food and water, and clothing. Is called.
The United Nations distributed medicines and sent a mobile medical team to Afghanistan, but warned that it was incapable of search and rescue and that neighboring countries in the region had little ability to intervene.
The United States no longer exists in Afghanistan after the complete withdrawal of its troops and the collapse of the former US-backed Afghanistan government. Like almost every other country, it has no official relationship with the Taliban government.
Turkey is the country that can provide the most support, said Ramiz Arakbarov, Deputy Special Representative of the United Nations in Afghanistan. He said the Turkish embassy in Afghanistan was "waiting for a formal request."
The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday that the Turkish Red Crescent, which operates in Afghanistan, sent humanitarian aid to the victims.
A disaster response requires an estimated $ 15 million in aid, Arakbarov said.
"Our team doesn't have any special equipment to take people from under the rubble," Arakbarov said. "This has to rely primarily on the efforts of de facto authorities, and there are certain restrictions in that respect as well. How appropriate they are to operate and deploy such machines in these mountainous areas. There is no detailed report on whether it is located in. "
According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), information including damage assessment is currently limited and remote. Communication is lost and transportation is hindered by bad weather.
"The country is freed from decades of conflict, prolonged severe droughts, the effects of other severe climate-related disasters, extreme economic difficulties, health system collapse, and system-wide gaps. I have. " The IFRC on Wednesday is seeking more global support.
"Therefore, disasters are localized, but the scale of humanitarian needs will be enormous."