UNITED NATIONS – Following the 5.3-magnitude earthquake that shook the Qadis District of Badghis Province in Afghanistan on Monday, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is leading an inter-agency assessment team to the area.
According to initial reports, 26 persons died and four more were injured. Hundreds of homes were damaged or destroyed as a result of the storm. According to news reports, heavy rains prior to the earthquake left mud-brick structures more vulnerable to destruction.
People who have had their homes damaged or destroyed are taking refuge with family and other community members. According to preliminary assessments, the most urgent needs are food, shelter, and non-food goods, as well as heating materials.
Aid agencies are giving early emergency support in the form of hot meals, water purification tablets, hygiene kits, and water kits, in addition to the OCHA-led assessment team.
Twenty-two people have died in the Afghan earthquake
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