The death toll is expected to rise, according to UNICEF Representative in Afghanistan Mohammad Ayoya.
THE earthquake which hit a remote mountainous area a few days ago Afghanistan cost life 1,036 people and the toll is expected to rise, UNICEF Representative in Afghanistan Mohammad Ayoya said today.
UN agencies have rushed to the aid of the affected area, where thousands of homes have been completely or partially destroyed, he told a news conference in Geneva.
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake shook southeastern Afghanistan near the border with Pakistan on Wednesday and shook the region. injury to 3,000 peoplewhile leaving thousands homeless.
The EU estimates that 270,000 people living in the quake-hit areas will need help and has released a first, € 1 million emergency humanitarian aid package.
Pakistan, Iran and Qatar also provided assistance to those affected. The United States has said it is working with its humanitarian partners to send medical teams.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) distributed tents, blankets and plastic containers. The World Food Program provided food to about 14,000 people in Paktita and the World Health Organization 10 tons of medical supplies enough to perform 5,400 surgeries.
Seismic activity occurs in large parts of southern Asia, where two tectonic plates, the Eurasian and the Indian, meet, and earthquakes are common in Afghanistan.
In 2015, an earthquake in remote areas of northeastern Afghanistan claimed the lives of hundreds of people in that country and nearby areas in northern Pakistan.
The deadliest in the country’s recent history (5,000 dead) took place in May 1998 in Tahar and Badajshan provinces.
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