Afghanistan Earthquake Death Toll Rises To 1,150 As Government Seeks International Medical Aid

Breaking Business Afghanistan Earthquake Death Toll Rises To 1,150 As Government Seeks International Medical Aid Siladitya Ray Forbes Staff Covering breaking news and tech policy stories at Forbes. New! Follow this author to improve your content experience. Got it! Jun 24, 2022, 07:22am EDT | Updated Jun 24, 2022, 08:03am EDT Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Topline The death toll from Wednesday’s deadly earthquake in eastern Afghanistan rose to 1,150 while at least five more people were killed by an aftershock in the same region on Friday morning, deepening the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the country as the scale of the disaster becomes more apparent.

People are seen on debris of a building after the magnitude 6. 1 quake shakes border provinces of . .

. [+] Paktika, Afghanistan. Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Key Facts Eleven people were also injured after another earthquake struck the eastern Paktika province on Friday morning, the state-run Bakhtar News Agency reported , adding that the toll is expected to rise.

According to the U. S. Geological Survey, the magnitude 4.

3 aftershock was detected almost exactly near the epicenter of Wednesday’s earthquake. Wednesday’s more severe disaster has left 1,150 dead, 1,600 people injured and several thousands of houses destroyed, the Associated Press reported , citing Bakhtar News Agency’s director-general . A spokesperson for the Taliban government’s disaster ministry told Reuters that the country does not have enough medicines to treat all those who have been affected as he appealed for international medical aid.

Relief and rescue efforts by the Taliban-led government have been severely impacted by the affected region’s poor roads and lack of other infrastructure, forcing locals to bury the dead themselves while also digging through the rubble to find survivors. Some international groups like the Red Crescent and World Food Program are aiding the relief efforts while the UN Refugee Agency said it has sent in “tons of relief items and several expert staff” to the affected region. Crucial Quote “The earthquake in Afghanistan is a great tragedy, adding to an already dire humanitarian situation.

We grieve for all the lives lost and the hardships Afghans continue to face. The U. S.

is working with our humanitarian partners to send medical teams to help those affected,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken tweeted on Thursday. Key Background The devastation and rising death toll from Wednesday’s disaster have only deepened Afghanistan’s ongoing humanitarian crisis caused by devastating food shortages and economic sanctions against the country’s government. The country spiraled into turmoil last year as the Taliban swooped into power in Kabul, displacing the country’s elected government as the Biden administration oversaw a swift and chaotic withdrawal of U.

S. military forces from Afghanistan. The country’s new Taliban rulers were hit with a multitude of international sanctions, including President Joe Biden’s decision to freeze $7 billion of the Afghan Central Bank’s funds—a part of which will be used to make legal payouts to the victims of the September 11 attacks.

Despite this, the Afghan government has begun receiving aid from other countries in the region including Qatar and neighbors Pakistan and Iran. India, which is yet to recognize the Taliban government, has sent 27 tonnes of emergency relief to Kabul along with a technical team to offer assistance. Big Number 24 million.

That is the total number of Afghan people who are currently in need of humanitarian assistance due to the country’s ongoing crisis, according to the UN Refugee Agency. Further Reading Death toll from Afghanistan’s quake rises to 1,150 people (Associated Press) Afghanistan seeks help for earthquake survivors as aftershock kills five (Reuters) Follow me on Twitter . Send me a secure tip .

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