According to the United Nations, mainly children and women died in the devastating earthquakes in Afghanistan. They were responsible for 90 percent of the deaths recorded so far, said Siddig Ibrahim of UNICEF in Afghanistan today. “Women and children are often at home, taking care of the house and children.” They are therefore at greater risk if, for example, buildings collapse.
AP/Ebrahim Noroozi
According to media reports, nearly 2,500 people died in several earthquakes in the Herat region of western Afghanistan over the weekend. More than 2,000 other people were injured. The UN emergency relief office, OCHA, however, had so far put the death toll at more than 1,000.
Herat is located in the border province of the same name, near Iran, and is the second largest city in Afghanistan after Kabul.
Lack of clothing, shelter and water
Ibrahim reported that many people were traumatized by the earthquake. As winter approaches, those who have lost their homes and belongings are in “acute distress, as they lack clothing, shelter, cooking utensils and access to drinking water.”
Severe earthquakes occur frequently in the region where the Arabian, Indian and Eurasian plates meet. A strong earthquake killed more than 1,000 people in Afghanistan in 2022. After several decades of conflict, many homes are poorly built. Earthquakes, therefore, often cause great damage.