Action Against Hunger was not operating in the areas affected by the earthquake, but has decided to quickly deploy an emergency response team to evaluate the situation.
Affected districts identified to date include Barmal, Ziruk, Nika and Giyan in Paktika Province and Spera District in Khost Province. Giyan District in Paktika Province is reportedly the worst affected with up to 200 people killed and 100 people injured, many of them seriously. In addition, up to 1,800 homes have reportedly been destroyed and damaged in Gayan, representing 70 per cent of the district’s housing stock.
“The number of people killed or injured has yet to be confirmed and is expected to rise as search and rescue operations are ongoing,” commented Samy Guessabi, Action Against Hunger Country Director in Afghanistan
Humanitarian support staff are preparing to assist affected families in Paktika and Khost provinces in coordination with the authorities. This major earthquake rocked one of the most vulnerable countries in the world where more than 24 million people are already in need of humanitarian assistance.
“Afghanistan does not have enough infrastructure to cope with such an earthquake. That’s why we have decided to quickly deploy an emergency response team to conduct a joint assessment with other humanitarian support staff in the most affected areas, including Barmal, Ziruk, Nika and Giyan in Paktika Province and Spera District in Khost Province,” explains Samy Guessabi.
The plan is to provide cash assistance to at least 2000 affected people within few days. Action Against Hunger’s response will be further developed based on the emerging needs.
Action Against Hunger has been working in Afghanistan since 1995. It employs approximately 900 staff in Kabul and have four operational bases: Helmand, Ghor, Daykundi, and Badakhshan. Action Against Hunger teams address the underlying conditions that give rise to deadly malnutrition and food insecurity and provide access to basic health services.
About Action Against Hunger
Action Against Hunger is the world’s leading charity stopping life-threatening hunger in its tracks. By training families and healthcare workers to spot the signs, we get life-saving care to people who need it. Action Against Hunger’s research drives forward understanding of how to predict, prevent and treat life-threatening hunger. With unbeatable knowledge and unstoppable determination, the charity supported more than 26 million people across 51 countries in 2021.