UNICEF has dispatched health teams and emergency supplies after a powerful earthquake shook Paktika and Khost provinces in eastern Afghanistan early on June 22. The earthquake, recorded at a depth of six miles, was reportedly felt in neighboring provinces including Kabul, as well as Islamabad, Pakistan and India.
According to The New York Times, at least 1,000 people have been killed. “We don’t yet know the extent of the devastation,” said UNICEF Afghanistan Representative Dr. Mohamed Ayoya. “Many more have been injured and many homes destroyed. These numbers are expected to grow as reports continue to come in.”
A devastating earthquake shook multiple districts in Paktika and Khost provinces in #Afghanistan. Reports of hundreds of lives lost and injured, many homes damaged.
Heartbreaking images are coming from the region. pic.twitter.com/m7sdDT5xoi— UNICEF Afghanistan (@UNICEFAfg) June 22, 2022
The quake struck about 28 miles from the city of Khost, the capital of Khost Province. Spira district in Khost Province was affected, along with the districts of Gayan, Barmala, Naka and Ziruk in Paktika Province.
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. UNICEF medical and nutrition teams are working to provide first aid for those who are injured.
On June 22, emergency supplies were loaded onto trucks at UNICEF’s warehouse in Paktia Province to be dispatched to areas hit by the earthquake in eastern Afghanistan. © UNICEF/UN0660046/UNICEF Afghanistan
UNICEF is also providing 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.
“We stand in solidarity with the children and families affected during this difficult time,” said Ayoya.
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Top photo: Damage is seen in the Spera district, in Khost Province, after a devastating earthquake hit eastern Afghanistan in the early morning of June 22, 2022. © UNICEF/UN0660054/UNICEF Afghanistan