Team News Riveting
Relief assistance from different countries has started arriving in Afghanistan, the hardliner governed country battling devastating earthquake that hit two days ago.
At least 1,000 people were killed while thousands were rendered homeless in remote villages close to the Pakistani border. The biggest challenge for the Taliban since they seized power nearly a year ago is that a hardline group is governing an impoverished country beset by severe drought, widespread hunger and economic crisis.
Now the earthquake risks exposing the limitations of an administration largely isolated from the outside world. But many countries including India has come forward to assist the country.
The UN Refugee Agency has rushed tons of relief items and several expert staff to support relief efforts in the south eastern parts of Afghanistan hit by Wednesday’s deadly earthquake, the agency spokesperson said Friday.
UNHCR Spokesperson Shabia Mantoo said the items include shelter and household supplies, consisting of 600 tents, 4,200 blankets, 1,200 jerry cans, 1,200 buckets, 1,200 plastic sheets, 600 kitchen sets and 1,200 solar lamps.
The relief supplies were delivered from UNHCR’s stockpiles in Kabul and loaded onto nine trucks on Thursday.
They will support some 4,200 survivors in Giyan, Bermal, Zerok, and Nika districts in Paktika province and Spera District in Khost province, which have seen hundreds of casualties and thousands of homes destroyed or damaged.
India has deployed a “technical team” consisting of diplomats and others to the Afghan capital to “closely monitor and coordinate” the delivery of humanitarian assistance there, Indian media reported on Friday.
“India has a historical and civilisational relationship with the Afghan people. In order to closely monitor and coordinate the efforts of various stakeholders for the effective delivery of humanitarian assistance and in continuation of our engagement with the Afghan people, an Indian technical team has reached Kabul today and has been deployed in our embassy there,” India Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
Fundraising campaigns have also been launched inside and outside the country to help the earthquake affected families in Paktika and Khost provinces and aids.
