Jalalabad, Sept 6 (V7N) – Two powerful aftershocks shook eastern Afghanistan within a span of 12 hours on Friday, deepening fears of further casualties and destruction in a region where earthquakes this week have already killed about 2,200 people. Rescuers continue to face immense challenges from mountainous terrain and severe weather conditions.

Survivors in Nangarhar and Kunar provinces are struggling for food, medicine, shelter, and clean water, while the United Nations and aid agencies warn of a growing humanitarian crisis. The World Health Organization (WHO) has requested $4 million in emergency funds to support healthcare and disease surveillance.

On Thursday night, a magnitude 6.2 quake struck Shiwa district of Nangarhar near the Pakistan border, injuring at least 13 people who were taken to hospitals by ambulance, said regional health spokesman Naqibullah Rahimi. A Reuters witness reported continuous aftershocks in Nangarhar, with details of the destruction still being collected.

Just hours later, on Friday, another tremor of magnitude 5.4 struck southeastern Afghanistan at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles), according to the German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ).

The Taliban administration said by Thursday that 2,205 people had died and 3,640 were injured. More than 6,700 homes have been destroyed, leaving families displaced and fearful of returning to fragile, damaged houses built from stone, timber, and mud. Many residents in districts such as Nurgal in Kunar have taken refuge in tents, riverbanks, or open highlands to avoid the risk of further collapses.

Blocked roads, fallen rocks, and landslides are delaying rescue operations and delivery of relief supplies, according to the WHO. Overcrowded shelters, unsafe drinking water, and poor waste management are creating a heightened risk of disease outbreaks, while the return of thousands of Afghan deportees from Pakistan and Iran has strained an already fragile healthcare system.

The series of quakes began with a magnitude 6 earthquake late Sunday night, one of the deadliest in years, followed by a magnitude 5.5 tremor on Tuesday that triggered landslides and disrupted rescue efforts. Entire villages were flattened, and rescuers have been pulling bodies from the rubble since then.

Earthquakes are frequent in Afghanistan, particularly in the Hindu Kush mountain range, where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates converge.

The Taliban government has urgently appealed for international aid, but support has been limited. The United Nations has already released $10 million in emergency funds and is preparing a flash appeal for more, though aid from wealthy nations has been scarce, mostly limited to tents and basic supplies.

“We have some seed funding, but we are looking to make a flash appeal,” said Kate Carey, deputy head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Afghanistan, stressing the urgent need for more international assistance.

News Source: Reuters 

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