KABUL (SW) – Humanitarian organizations have called for swift actions for relief and rehabilitation of the Herat earthquake victims as harsh winter approaches.
The United Nations’s World Food Program in Afghanistan, has said that the survivors of this earthquake spend the nights in the ruins and have no home to return to.
In a video posted on the “X”, Philip Kruff, the head of the communication department of the United Nations World Food Program in Afghanistan, said today that the survivors of the strong earthquake four days ago in Herat are hungry and scared. “I am standing here in a village that was completely leveled to the ground in the earthquake a few days ago. In this earthquake, hundreds of people were killed and thousands of others were injured. Those who survived are terrified and hungry. Many spend the cold night outside among the ruins with little shelter.”
On the other hand, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Aid of the United Nations (OCHA) has said that more than 12,000 people have been injured in the recent earthquakes in Herat. It is stated: “It is estimated that 12,110 people, including 1,730 families, were damaged by the earthquake in five districts of Herat. In Zindajan district, 100% of the houses were destroyed and it is the worst earthquake affected area. Another 485 people, including 191 men and 294 women, are missing. Also, 33 unaccompanied minors, 17 unaccompanied seniors and 53 female heads of the household have been identified.”
OCHA has emphasized in this report that the survivors are in dire need of emergency shelter, drinking water, food, blankets and clothes. Survivors also complain about the relevant quarters not addressing their problems.
Fatema, Soraya and Bibiko, among the survivors of the earthquake in Zindajan, Herat, said that they have not received even the basic needs of their lives until now. Fatema said: “We don’t have a tent, we don’t have any soap and shampoo, we don’t have anything.”
Soraya added: “There was an earthquake, our house was destroyed, two people were martyred. Our other people are in the hospital. When I came from the hospital, they took our tent away. We have not received any help yet.”
Bibiko said: “We haven’t eaten anything since the day of the earthquake. The same day the earthquake happened, we had tea only.”
Despite all this, Qalandar Ebad, the Acting Ministry of Public Health, announced today in a meeting about the complete readiness and facilities of this ministry to treat the victims of the earthquake in Herat.
Acting Minister of Public Health said: “We have created health teams in the form of a tent. Approximately 52 mobile help teams have arrived in the region, which have been supplemented by ambulances, doctors/midwives and nurses. Now we have divided the regions and deployed health teams. We have 60 health teams that take care of the sick and we have 50 to 60 ambulances.”
Acting Minister of Public Health emphasized that efforts are still ongoing to provide clean water, proper and healthy nutrition and shelter for earthquake survivors in Herat.
ENDS
