Akmal Dawi
VOA News
October 10, 2023

The number of people killed by Saturday’s 6.3-magnitude earthquake in Afghanistan has surpassed 2,400 as search and rescue teams extracted more bodies from the ruins of hundreds of destroyed houses, according to local officials.

“Martyrs are still under the rubble,” said Matiul Haq Khalis, president of the Afghan Red Crescent Society, after visiting the quake-affected areas in Herat province on Tuesday.

In a village located at the earthquake’s epicenter, it is reported that up to 300 bodies have been buried.

“Some are martyred, some are wounded, and some are searching for the missing ones…no one is unhurt,” Khalis said.

The country’s health ministry has reported 2,445 deaths so far, but the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) gives a lower death toll at 1,300 dead and 500 individuals missing.

At least 540 people, primarily women and children, have received treatment for injuries sustained during the quake at a hospital supported by international NGO Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF).

“Most of the injured are women and children, likely because when the earthquake hit mid-morning, they were the ones at home,” MSF said in a statement on Tuesday.

The United Nations Satellite Center has released satellite images depicting extensive damage to structures in the Zindajan and Injil districts of Herat province. The majority of the houses, constructed from mud, were unable to withstand the earthquake’s force, resulting in the high casualty rate.

On the ground, a team of Iranian first responders, accompanied by search dogs, is assisting local communities in the retrieval of bodies from the wreckage, Khalis said.

Needs, response

Food, shelter and medicine are among the most urgent needs in the disaster-hit areas, aid workers say.

“It’s already too cold,” said Khalis, describing the needs of the affected people. “If their shelters are not built before the winter sets, they said, their children will face risks of death.”

Child-focused humanitarian organizations warn about severe trauma experienced by children in the aftermath of natural disasters.

“Children are particularly vulnerable and have suffered severe psychological distress due to the earthquake,” Jens Laerke, a spokesperson for OCHA, told VOA. “They require mental health and psychosocial support.”

Countries worldwide have extended their condolences, but only a few have pledged practical support so far.

Germany has pledged $5.2 million, followed by Switzerland with $4.1 million, and $3.7 million from the European Union. The Chinese Red Cross Society pledged $200,000.

Afghanistan’s neighbors, Iran and Pakistan, also have promised to send crucial supplies, including food, blankets, medicine and tents.

Additionally, the United Nations has announced allocating $5 million from the Afghanistan Humanitarian Appeal Fund to support relief efforts in Herat.

The appeal already suffers significant funding shortfalls this year as donors have pledged only $1.9 billion to the $3.2 billion call.

“This general underfunding affects all aspects of the humanitarian response in Afghanistan,” said OCHA’s Laerke.

No word about new US funds

While the United States remains the top humanitarian donor to Afghanistan, with more than $400 million contributed to the humanitarian appeal this year, the overall U.S. funding to the country has dropped markedly over the past year.

The U.S. gave more than $1.2 billion in humanitarian assistance to the country in 2022, according to the United Nations.

The U.S. has not announced any new funding in response to the quake in Herat.

“We are in close contact with our U.N. and NGO humanitarian partners who have been providing rapid response assistance since the day of the earthquake and are assessing the impact,” a spokesperson for the Department of State wrote VOA in response to questions.

U.S. forces pulled out of Afghanistan in 2021 after a 20-year fight against the Taliban.

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• Afghan Earthquake Killed Mainly Women And Children, Say Rescue Officials