Kabul, Afghanistan
Following a powerful earthquake on 26 October centered in Afghanistan’s Badakshan province, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is taking the lead in assessment and response efforts, having mobilized disaster response mechanisms at the national and provincial level.
Assessments to determine loss of life and damage are on-going or completed in all quake-affected areas with the exception of districts where non-state armed groups are present (including Raghistan and Kohistan districts).Joint assessment teams are expected, beginning 29 October, to report findings to respective Provincial Disaster Management Committees, which will initiate better response planning. In the meantime, some humanitarian partners have begun distributing food, tents and other urgent assistance in some quake-affected areas.
Following receipt of information from the assessment teams, initial reports have been updated and now indicate that 110 people were killed, 425 people injured and 9,379 homes damaged or destroyed in 98 districts. The initial reports also suggest damage to public infrastructure including schools, clinics and government facilities. The eastern region of the country was the hardest hit with Kunar province reporting 30 deaths and 106 injured while damage was most extensive in Badakhshan, where 4,348 homes were damaged or destroyed.
Emergency shelter, winterization and water and sanitation are likely to be the immediate concerns, particularly with winter approaching. The national level stock lists, updated on 27 October, show sufficient shelter kits for more than 67,000 people, 600,000 blankets and non-food item packages for nearly 124,000 people are available in country.
One emergency trauma kit was prepositioned in Jawzjan, Kunduz, Baghlan, and Ghazni which covers 100 major surgeries in each location. One basic health kit was prepositioned in Takhar and Fayzabad, which covers basic health services for 3,000 people for one month in each location.
Thus far, the Government has made no formal request for assistance. The United Nations and its humanitarian partners in Afghanistan continue to support the Government’s on-going efforts to determine the extent of the damage and respond to the needs of people impacted by the earthquake. Coordination efforts led by the Government continue at the provincial levels, while an expanded HCT meeting on earthquake is scheduled to take place on 29 October in Kabul. The governments of China, India, Iran, Japan and Turkey have also offered support during this crisis.