After the devastating earthquake in Afghanistan, the Red Crescent is on the scene to help the tens of thousands of people affected. Relief supplies and mobile health teams are on their way to the worst-hit provinces of Khost and Paktika in the southeast of the country. Officially there are already more than 1000 dead, it is feared that this number will rise further. The Austrian Red Cross is calling for emergency aid for the affected people.
With the support of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the Afghan Red Crescent immediately mobilized staff and volunteers from the local branches “to take appropriate emergency measures immediately,” explains Michael Opriesnig, Secretary General of the Austrian Red Cross.
Disaster team on the way
In addition, an IFRC Disaster Response Team, consisting of employees still in Afghanistan, has left Kabul and is on its way to the affected areas, Opriesnig reports in a broadcast. However, the remote mountain area is difficult to access, making on-site rescue work more difficult.
According to the Red Cross, emergency trucks and ambulances have already been sent to the affected areas to meet immediate needs. Three mobile health teams from Paktika province have been deployed in the region. If necessary, other teams from nearby provinces are deployed. Additional medical supplies are being mobilized from Kabul.
“The earthquake in Afghanistan represents another disaster for the country. Even before that, more than half of the population was in urgent need of humanitarian aid as a result of previous crises,” explains the Secretary-General of the Red Cross. The reasons for this are decades of conflict, a severe drought, extreme economic hardship and an ailing health system. Opriesnig therefore made an appeal that “more global support is needed to ensure humanitarian aid in Afghanistan.”
The Red Cross is asking for donations:
Austrian red cross
IBAN: AT57 2011 1400 1440 0144
BIC: GIBAATWWXXX
First Bank: BLZ: 20.111
Password: emergency help
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
