ISTANBUL: Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian on Monday telephoned to Afghanistan counterpart and discussed the aftermath of the devastating earthquakes that struck Afghanistan’s northwestern Herat province on Saturday.
During the telephone conversation, Iranian Foreign Minister expressed condolences and sympathy for the situation. He also pledged humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, as reported by the Afghan Foreign Ministry.
Amir Khan Muttaqi, the acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan, provided his Iranian counterpart with an update on the current situation in the affected region, according to Hafiz Zia Ahmad, a deputy spokesman for the Afghan Foreign Ministry.
Amirabdollahian expressed his readiness to cooperate and reiterated his commitment to providing humanitarian aid to the earthquake victims, as stated by Ahmad.
Both foreign ministers emphasized their commitment to enhancing political and economic relations and promoting cooperation between their respective countries.
The US Geological Survey reported that Herat experienced powerful earthquakes with magnitudes of 5.5, 5.9, and 6.2 on Saturday, with the epicenter located 40 kilometers (24.8 miles) northwest of Herat city.
❇️ #Iran FM talks to Taliban caretaker minister, extends condolences over #Afghan quake
✅Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, in a phone conversation with Afghan caretaker foreign minister, Molavi Amir Khan Muttaqi, expressed his sympathy over the earthquake that… pic.twitter.com/RvVzM5tQ0T
— Foreign Ministry, Islamic Republic of Iran 🇮🇷 (@IRIMFA_EN) October 9, 2023
Death Toll Jumps to 2500 in Afghanistan Earthquake
As of Sunday, the death toll from these earthquakes in the northwestern part of Afghanistan had risen to over 2,500, according to an official statement by Khalid Zadran, a spokesman for Kabul police. Zadran also noted that aid teams were actively engaged in the affected area, where people still required shelter and food.
However, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Afghanistan released a brief statement indicating that 1,023 people had been confirmed dead as a result of the earthquakes, but this number was expected to increase. Additionally, 516 individuals were reported as missing, and 1,663 others had sustained injuries. The UNOCHA also highlighted that the earthquakes had impacted 11,585 people, comprising 1,655 families.
