SIAH AB, Afghanistan: Rescue teams continued their relentless efforts on Tuesday, tirelessly searching through the debris for villagers trapped in their homes following a series of devastating earthquakes that have claimed the lives of over 2,000 people in rural western Afghanistan.
However, the fading hope of finding survivors was becoming increasingly evident.
Armed with spades and pickaxes, volunteers have been tirelessly working in Herat province since the deadly magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck on Saturday, followed by a series of powerful aftershocks.
Afghanistan is no stranger to deadly earthquakes, but the weekend’s catastrophe is the most severe to hit the impoverished nation in over 25 years. The region was still experiencing strong tremors on Monday.
“There are families who don’t have anyone left alive,” lamented Ali Mohammad, a 50-year-old resident of Nayeb Rafi village, once home to 2,000 people. “No one is left, not a woman nor a child… no one.”
A mass funeral ceremony was conducted on Monday in the nearby Siah Ab village for over 300 victims gathered from neighboring communities. White-shrouded bodies were solemnly placed in rows after being transported by a fleet of vehicles, and a somber crowd of men offered Islamic prayers.
“I thought I must have been dreaming; all the places were razed,” said Ismail, a 30-year-old who goes by a single name. “No one is left.”
The United Nations has reported that “100 percent” of homes in 11 villages in the remote Zenda Jan district, just 30 kilometers (19 miles) northwest of Herat city, the provincial capital, have been destroyed.
‘Families in debris’ –
Mullah Janan Sayeq, the spokesman for the Disaster Management Ministry, reported on Monday evening that distraught villagers were still engaged in desperate efforts to free their family members trapped under the rubble.
However, he also noted that the situation in the affected areas was dire, describing it as “very bad” during a press conference held in the capital.
Local and national authorities provided conflicting figures regarding the count of casualties, but the Disaster Ministry stated on Sunday that the death toll had reached 2,053 people.
Sayeq explained, “We can’t provide precise numbers for the deceased and injured as the situation is constantly changing.”
According to the World Health Organization, more than 11,000 individuals from 1,655 families have been impacted by the disaster.
Trucks laden with essential supplies like food and blankets have started arriving in the affected region, and blue tents are being set up amidst the remnants of the devastated villages.
As winter approaches, the critical challenge for Afghanistan’s Taliban government, which assumed power in August 2021 and maintains complex relations with international aid organizations, will be providing adequate shelter for the affected residents.
‘Crisis on top of crisis’ –
Taliban authorities in Afghanistan have banned women working for UN and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the country, which has created challenges in assessing the needs of families, particularly in conservative areas.
Amnesty International has called on the Taliban government to ensure rescue and relief efforts are conducted “without discrimination” and grant humanitarian agencies unrestricted access to affected regions.
South Asia regional researcher Zaman Sultani emphasized the importance of assistance in addressing the needs of the most vulnerable groups, including women, who often face compounded challenges during crises.
In rural Afghanistan, most homes are constructed from mud with wooden support poles and lack modern steel reinforcement. Extended multi-generational families typically reside together under one roof, making disasters like the recent earthquake devastating local communities.
Afghanistan is already grappling with a severe humanitarian crisis due to the withdrawal of foreign aid following the Taliban’s return to power. Save the Children described the earthquake as “a crisis on top of a crisis” and expressed concern over the scale of the damage and the number of people affected.
Herat province, home to approximately 1.9 million people and situated on the border with Iran, has suffered a prolonged drought that has severely impacted impoverished farming communities.
Afghanistan is prone to earthquakes, particularly in the Hindu Kush mountain range, located near the convergence of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates. Past earthquakes in the country, such as the one in Paktika province in June 2022 and another in Takhar province in 1998, have caused significant loss of life and displacement. —APP
