HIGHLIGHTS
A powerful earthquake rocks Northeastern Afghanistan on 26 October, killing 115 and injuring 524.
Fatalities and injuries were highest in Kunar and Nangarhar; property damage was most extensive in Badakshan
Significant need has emerged for emergency shelter solutions over the winter.
Afghan culture of hospitality has enhanced resilience and the capacity for communities to cope.
CHF and CERF funds released to address urgent needs related to the earthquake.
Powerful earthquake rocks Afghanistan
More than 130,000 people affected in 15 provinces
A powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake rocked Afghanistan on 26 October killing 115, including 12 girls in Takhar Province as they attempted to flee their school, injuring 524 people and damaging or destroying more than 18,000 homes.
The earthquake was 196 kilometres deep and its epicentre was 82 kilometres southeast of Fayzabad, the capital of Badakhshan Province, in the district of Jorm in the Hindu Kush mountain range. Property damage was most extensive nearest the epicentre. More than 130,000 people in 15 provinces, including 50,000 in Badakhshan, have been affected while the disaster claimed the most lives in the eastern provinces of Kunar and Nangarhar, according to verified reports.
The United Nations Secretary-General Ban ki Moon expressed his deepest condolences to everyone affected shortly after the earthquake, particularly those who had lost family and friends. In the immediate hours following the powerful seismic event, the international community monitored the situation through the On-Site Operations Coordination Centre and bilateral channels.
The Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan took the lead in assessment and response. The Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA), respective Provincial Disaster Management Committees (PDMCs) and humanitarian partners mobilized resources to alleviate the suffering of affected people. PDMCs, Operational Coordination Teams and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) have been active in coordinating assessment and response efforts throughout affected provinces in the Northern, North Eastern, Eastern and Central regions of Afghanistan.
As of 13 November, 31 agencies had been involved in assessment and 25 agencies in earthquake response activities. More than 67,000 people had received some form of assistance. With 12 percent of quake-affected villages remaining un-assessed due to physical and security related access constraints, and on-going response activities, that number can be expected to increase.
Mobility health kits that had been prepositioned to World Health Organization offices proved useful in the provision of medical aid during the disaster response. Most casualties were treated at local health facilities although some of the more serious trauma cases had to be transported to provincial and regional hospitals. Several schools, health facilities and government buildings, including a prison in Takhar Province, were damaged and will require repair.
The National Disaster Management Committee, chaired by Afghanistan’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Abdullah Abdullah, approved the release of AFN 51 million for the response effort and the funds were deposited into the accounts of affected provinces on 8 November. The two most severely-affected districts in Badakhshan Province, Jorm and Yamgan, will be prioritised for cash assistance from the Government. The UN’s Humanitarian Coordinator in Afghanistan has directed an allocation of nearly US$3 million from the Common Humanitarian Fund and UN Agencies have submitted earthquake related proposals for some US$7 million of UN Central Emergency Response Fund rapid response funds.