KABUL:
The Taliban government announced on Sunday that more than 2,400 people have been killed in the deadliest earthquakes to hit the earthquake-prone mountainous country in years.
One of the earthquakes on Saturday, in the country’s western region, measured 6.3 on the Richter scale and occurred 35 kilometres (20 miles) northwest of the city of Herat, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).
After earthquakes in Turkey and Syria in February killed an estimated 50,000 people, these were among the deadliest earthquakes in the globe this year.
Ministry of Disasters spokesperson Janan Sayeeq told Reuters in a message that the death toll had climbed to 2,445, but that the number of injured had been reduced to “more than 2,000.” He had previously estimated that 9,240 people were hurt.
According to Sayeeq, 1,320 homes were either demolished or severely damaged. From 500 reported by the Red Crescent early on Sunday, the death toll has risen dramatically.
Sayeeq told reporters that ten rescue teams were already in the border region with Iran.
An unnamed employee from the health department in Herat reported that more than 200 bodies had been transported to local hospitals, the vast majority of which were women and children.
“Bodies were taken to several places – military bases, hospitals,” Danish said.
Photos shared on social media showed that beds had been set up outside Herat’s main hospital to accommodate the influx of wounded.
Suhail Shaheen, head of the Taliban political office in Qatar, sent a statement to the media stating the dire need for food, water, medication, clothing, and tents for rescue and relief.
Photos shared online showed cracks and missing tiles on the Herat minarets, which date back to the Middle Ages.
Afghanistan, which is encircled on all sides by mountains, is prone to devastating earthquakes, especially in the steep Hindu Kush region on the country’s border with Pakistan.
Information from more distant areas of a country, where decades of war have wreaked havoc on infrastructure and made it impossible to conduct relief and rescue activities, often leads to an increase in the death toll.
Since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan two years ago, most of the international funding that had supported the country’s economy has been cut off. This has had a devastating effect on the country’s healthcare system, which relied nearly solely on foreign money.
According to diplomats and charity workers, donors are pulling back on financial help because of concerns over Taliban restrictions on women and competing global humanitarian problems. Most Afghan female aid workers have been told by the Islamist government to stop working, with certain exceptions made for the health and education sectors.
Due to budgetary restrictions, the International Committee of the Red Cross announced in August that it will likely stop providing financial support to 25 hospitals in Afghanistan. The Herat hospital’s inclusion on the list was not immediately apparent.
Naseema, a local of Herat, reported that the earthquakes caused widespread terror.
On Saturday, she sent a text message to Reuters saying, “People left their houses, we are all on the streets,” and adding that the city was experiencing tremors.
According to a report released by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Sunday, Herat province is home to 202 public health institutions, one of which being the primary regional hospital where 500 casualties had been transferred.
The WHO noted that many of the clinics were on the smaller side and that logistical difficulties were making it difficult for them to function, especially in more rural locations.
“While search and rescue operations remain ongoing, casualties in these areas have not yet been fully identified,” the statement stated.
