Western Afghanistan was again shaken by a major earthquake on Wednesday morning. According to the American Earthquake Observatory USGS, the earthquake had a magnitude of 6.3. The disaster occurred about 28 kilometers northwest of the city of Herat at a depth of ten kilometers. There are currently no reports of damage or injuries.
After media reports claimed that nearly 2,500 people were killed and more than 2,000 others injured in several earthquakes in the region over the weekend, the earth prayed again on Wednesday.
Eight earthquakes in a short time
On Saturday morning, at least eight earthquakes shook the border area near Iran in a short period of time. The American earthquake monitoring station USGS estimated the magnitude at values between 4.6 and 6.3. The tremors occurred northwest of Herat at a shallow depth of about ten kilometers. Quakes with a magnitude of 5.1 were recorded on Monday.
Devastating earthquake already in 2022
Serious earthquakes occur regularly in the region where the Arabian, Indian and Eurasian plates meet. A devastating earthquake in Afghanistan in 2022 killed more than a thousand people. After decades of conflict, many houses are poorly built. Earthquakes often cause major damage.
WFP warns of famine in Afghanistan
The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) is warning of a famine in Afghanistan due to drastically reduced funding. “The situation is quite desperate,” John Aylieff, WFP regional director for Asia and the Pacific, told the Germany editorial network (RND). Humanitarian aid programs are ‘dramatically underfunded’.
‘Ten million people had to stop aid’
The WFP has 80 percent less money for Afghanistan than last year, Aylieff said. Instead of 1.6 billion dollars (about 1.5 billion euros), only 340 million dollars (about 320 million euros) would be available for Afghanistan. “Currently 15 million people in Afghanistan are hungry, we wanted to reach at least 13 million. Due to a lack of funding, we had to cut off aid to ten million people,” he told RND.
The approaching “brutal” winter in Afghanistan makes things “particularly critical”: “Some mountain villages are cut off from the outside world for up to six months because of the snow. Without supplies they cannot survive,” Aylieff said. He expects drastic consequences: “Of course people will flee. But the most important thing is that more people will die.”
Aid has fallen significantly further
The UN representative called on the international community to increase its support for Afghanistan. “Even though the Taliban makes many very problematic decisions, humanity must come first,” he said. Aid to Afghanistan has fallen significantly more compared to aid to other countries. “That doesn’t meet the need in any way.”
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
