ANI
22 Jun 2022, 21:25 GMT+10
Kabul [Afghanistan], June 22 (ANI): Thousands of children are at risk after a devastating earthquake hit eastern Afghanistan, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Wednesday.
At 01.30 local time on 22 June, a 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck the Central Region of Afghanistan impacting Paktika and Khost provinces.
The earthquake - which was recorded at a depth of 10 km - was reportedly felt in neighbouring provinces including Kabul, as well as in Islamabad, Pakistan and India.
A devastating earthquake shook the districts of Gayan, Barmala, Naka and Ziruk in Paktika Province, as well as Spira district in Khost Province in Afghanistan.
"We don't yet know the full extent of the devastation, but we believe hundreds of people have been killed, including many women and children. Many more have been injured and many homes damaged or destroyed. These numbers are expected to grow as reports continue to come in," UNICEF said in a statement.
The UN agency expressed its heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and wishes those injured a quick recovery. It said"The de facto authorities have requested the support of UNICEF and other UN agency teams who are joining efforts to assess the situation and respond to the needs of the affected communities.
In response to the devastating quake, UNICEF has dispatched several mobile health and nutrition teams to provide first aid to those who are injured.
"UNICEF is also distributing critical aid, including kitchen equipment, hygiene supplies including soap, detergent, towels, sanitary pads and water buckets, warm clothes, shoes and blankets, as well as tents and tarpaulins," the statement added.
Although OCHA is yet to confirm the number of people killed or injured. The number of casualties is expected to rise as search and rescue operations are ongoing. Already, the Ministry of Defense has dispatched five helicopters to Paktika province to facilitate medevacs, and one medical team to Gayan district.
UNICEF has deployed at least 12 teams of health workers to Gayan district, and several mobile health and nutrition teams to Barmal district in Paktika province and Spera district in Khost province. Humanitarian search and rescue teams are on standby to deploy as needed.
Immediate needs identified include emergency trauma care, emergency shelter and non-food items and food assistance.
Families of those whose homes have been damaged or destroyed are being hosted by their relatives and other members of their communities, although some are reportedly living in the open. Given the unseasonable, heavy rains and cold, emergency shelter is an immediate priority. (ANI)Get a daily dose of Pakistan Telegraph news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Pakistan Telegraph.
More InformationDHARAMSHALA, India: The Dalai Lama turned 90 on July 6, celebrated by thousands of followers in the Himalayan town of Dharamshala,...
ZAGREB, Croatia: A massive concert by popular Croatian singer Marko Perković, known by his stage name Thompson, has drawn widespread...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Elon Musk's entry into the political arena is drawing pushback from top U.S. officials and investors, as his decision...
CULVER CITY, California: TikTok is preparing to roll out a separate version of its app for U.S. users, as efforts to secure a sale...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: President Donald Trump claimed he was unaware that the term shylock is regarded as antisemitic when he used it in...
PARIS, France: A strike by French air traffic controllers demanding improved working conditions caused significant disruptions during...
OTTAWA, Canada: With Canada Post struggling to maintain operations amid labour unrest, rivals like FedEx and UPS are stepping in to...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. and global markets showed a mixed performance in Tuesday's trading session, with some indices edging higher...
PARIS, France: French military and intelligence officials have accused China of orchestrating a covert campaign to damage the reputation...
NEW DELHI, India: Birkenstock is stepping up its efforts to protect its iconic sandals in India, as local legal representatives conducted...
HONG KONG: China has fired back at the European Union in an escalating trade dispute by imposing new restrictions on medical device...
NEW YORK, New York - Monday's trading session saw mixed performances across U.S. and global markets, with several major indices posting...