The latest updates of the United Nations evaluation teams that have reached the communities affected in the mountain district of Ghazi Abad on foot on Tuesday stressed the urgent need to put pressure with the humanitarian response.
“The problem of getting out of people under the rubble is urgent,” said Salam al-Jabani of the United Nations Children’s Fund, Unicefin Kabul. “People say what is urgent are people to help us bury the dead and get them out.”
The preliminary reports of the de facto authorities of Afghanistan now indicate that at least 1,400 people were killed and more than 3,100 injured when a earthquake of magnitude six struck the northeast regions late Sunday.
The injury figures should increase more as the research and rescue teams reach affected areas, but some distant communities have not yet been reached. Access problems are the result of rock falls and landslides triggered by the earthquake and heavy rains in the days preceding the disaster.
“Our teams had to leave their cars and walk two hours to go to Ghazi Abad”, ” explain Mr. Al-Jabani. “Other villages are six to seven o’clock and are still not affected … Not even by the helicopters of local authorities.
Communications are also uneven or non -existent: “There is a cell tower near a health center, otherwise it is dark” ” Mr. Al-Jabani continued.
International response
As part of the international response, the UN sent at least 25 evaluation teams to the affected region and stimulated theft of humanitarian air services from Kabul.
For its part, the United Nations refugee agency, Hcrdeploys essential elements of prepositioned rescue of stocks in Kabul, including tents, covers and solar lamps.
Immediate priority needs include emergency shelter, medical supplies, drinking water and emergency food assistance.
But “getting medication is very difficult … they only bring essential elements on foot” From the nearest hospital supported by UNICEF, Mr. Al-Jabani noted.
The provision of health care remains fragile, with medical staff in a damaged center in Ghazi Abad with clearly visible cracks in the walls that now treat people “outside, under the trees”, because they are too afraid to stay insidehe added ..
It is understood that thousands of members of the local community are now launching into the region to help research and rescue efforts, causing water and food with them. “The people of their thousands of people enter and leave the region,” noted the UNICEF manager.
Publicado anteriormente en Almouwatin.
