UN allocates $5m for Afghan earthquake victims

KABUL (Pajhwok): The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has announced that the United Nations has allocated five million dollars to assist the earthquake victims in eastern Afghanistan.

The powerful Sunday night earthquake killed more than 1,400 people and injured thousands more in eastern provinces.

In a statement posted on its official Facebook page today (Wednesday), UNAMA emphasized that the United Nations in Afghanistan is making every effort to assist the victims of the recent earthquake, but current financial resources are insufficient to fully address the needs of those affected.

The statement reads: “To date, five million dollars have been allocated by the United Nations for earthquake victims in Afghanistan. However, given that over 1,400 people have lost their lives, there is an immediate need for more assistance.”

The statement also quotes UN Secretary-General António Guterres as calling for increased humanitarian aid to provide an immediate and effective response to this humanitarian crisis.

He added: “The United Nations and its partners in Afghanistan are ready to provide emergency assistance, and an initial five million dollars from the United Nations Emergency Fund has been allocated.”

It is important to note that countries such as China, Iran, India, Turkey, and the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have provided cash, food, and non-food aid to the earthquake victims in eastern Afghanistan. Additionally, the Refugee Council has announced emergency aid, while the European Union has pledged one million euros in emergency assistance along with 130 tons of relief supplies for the affected areas.

According to Hamdullah Fetrat, deputy spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate, the number of casualties in the districts of Norgul, Chuki, Chap Dara, Pich Dara, Vatepur, and Asadabad, the capital of Kunar province, has reached 1,411. The number of injured has surpassed 3,124, and 5,412 houses have been destroyed.

sa/ma