UN agencies mobilized to help Afghans hit by earthquake

0 Comment(s)Print E-mail Xinhua, June 24, 2022
Adjust font size:

UNITED NATIONS, June 23 (Xinhua) -- UN agencies are working to deal with the needs arising from Wednesday's earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan, said a UN spokesman on Thursday.

Following the earthquake, priority needs include emergency shelter and non-food items, food assistance, health and water and sanitation hygiene support, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

The UN Refugee Agency has dispatched tents, blankets, plastic sheeting, and kitchen sets, among other items, for 4,000 people. The World Food Programme has confirmed in-kind food stocks for 14,000 people in hardest-hit Paktika Province. The UN Children's Fund has also prepositioned non-food items in Paktika and Khost provinces and supported medical evacuations in Paktika. The UN Population Fund has confirmed capacity to provide dignity kits and support to health facilities in affected areas. In addition, seven teams from the International Organization for Migration are on the ground in Paktika and Khost for assessments, he said.

The World Health Organization has provided 10 metric tons of medical supplies sufficient for 5,400 surgeries, and medical treatments covering 36,000 people for three months. Meanwhile, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs coordinated the deployment of assessment teams to Khost and Paktika, as well as to Gardez in Paktia Province. Local coordination with the de facto authorities is ongoing, he told a daily press briefing.

The risk of cholera outbreaks is of particular concern in southeast Afghanistan, where cases of acute watery diarrhea were already rising prior to Wednesday's earthquake. Preparations are under way to avoid an outbreak, including through oral vaccinations and hygiene response activities, he said.

Ramiz Alakbarov, the UN resident and humanitarian coordinator for Afghanistan, is expected to lead a team to the affected areas in the coming days to support the coordination of response efforts.

In a briefing to the Security Council on Thursday, Alakbarov said nearly 800 people have been confirmed killed and more than 1,400 injured, many of them seriously, with several thousand homes destroyed or damaged, according to the latest information that the United Nations has received.

Search-and-rescue operations remain ongoing and it is expected that the number of casualties will further increase over the coming days, along with the number of affected communities, he said. Enditem

Follow China.org.cn on Twitter and Facebook to join the conversation.
ChinaNews App Download
Print E-mail Bookmark and Share

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)

No comments.

Add your comments...

  • User Name Required
  • Your Comment
  • Enter the words you see:   
    Racist, abusive and off-topic comments may be removed by the moderator.
Send your storiesGet more from China.org.cnMobileRSSNewsletter