500 still missing following Afghanistan earthquake, say UN aid teams

500 still missing following Afghanistan earthquake, say UN aid teams

 At the epicentre of the earthquake in Zindajan district, the UN aid coordination office (OCHA) recorded nearly 1,300 deaths and 1,700 injuries. In some places, entire villages have been destroyed, according to teams on the ground.  Over 12,000 affected An estimated 12,110 people, or 1,730 families, have been affected in five districts of Herat. That number is expected…

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Afghanistan: Aid efforts rapidly expand as post-quake death toll rises

Afghanistan: Aid efforts rapidly expand as post-quake death toll rises

“The United Nations and our partners in Afghanistan are coordinating with the de facto authorities to swiftly assess needs and provide emergency assistance,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said. UN agencies, partners, and the de facto authorities continued to mount emergency operations. Initial assessments indicated that the 6.3 magnitude quake that struck 40 kilometres west of…

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Earthquake kills at least 100 in Herat, Afghanistan

Earthquake kills at least 100 in Herat, Afghanistan

Initial assessments indicate that the 6.3 magnitude quake caused deaths across eight villages, with a further 500 people injured, according to the latest update from UN humanitarian office (OCHA), which reported that it destroyed 465 houses and damaged another 135. Mahal Wadakah was the worst affected village. Rescuers search collapsed buildings Partners and local authorities…

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‘Patience’ and dialogue with Taliban only way forward: Afghanistan mission chief

‘Patience’ and dialogue with Taliban only way forward: Afghanistan mission chief

Roza Otunbayeva, a former President and Foreign Minister of Kyrgyzstan, serves as the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Afghanistan and head of the UN Assistance Mission in the country, UNAMA. She has to live and work in a State whose de facto authorities have practically outlawed women, forbidding them to work, study, and…

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Polio virus found in Karachi's environmental samples came from Afghanistan: officials reveal

Polio virus found in Karachi’s environmental samples came from Afghanistan: officials reveal

—File photo The crippling polio virus continues to spread in Pakistan. Polio virus has been confirmed in 1 environmental sample from Karachi and 1 from Peshawar. Polio virus has been confirmed in 1, 1 and 2 samples from East and Central districts of Karachi. According to the health department, polio virus has also been confirmed…

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Afghanistan: Human rights ‘in a state of collapse’, warns Türk

Afghanistan: Human rights ‘in a state of collapse’, warns Türk

“Human rights in Afghanistan are in a state of collapse,” he told the Human Rights Council, before sounding the alarm over ongoing reports of extrajudicial killings, torture and ill-treatment and arbitrary arrests and detentions, as well as serious violations against former Government officials, as documented in a new human rights office (OHCHR) report. “Compounding all of this…

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Afghanistan: WFP forced to cut food aid for 2 million more

Afghanistan: WFP forced to cut food aid for 2 million more

Forced to take the drastic measures citing a “massive funding shortfall”, WFP will only be able to provide emergency assistance to three million people per month across the country from October. “Amid already worrying levels of hunger and malnutrition, we are obliged to choose between the hungry and the starving, leaving millions of families scrambling for their…

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