A somber moment. During the introduction to the Zohra Orchestra’s concert on the evening of Friday, October 13, Dr. Sarmast made a point of recalling the thousands of lives lost in an earthquake in western Afghanistan a week earlier.
A minute of silence was observed in their memory.
On the morning of Saturday, October 7, a 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck the western part of the country, particularly the province of Herat. This humanitarian disaster comes on top of the recurring droughts in the region over the past few years, which have caused a major food crisis.
More than 2,400 deaths have been reported so far. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 11,000 people have been affected by the disaster. Mass funerals have been held, with 300 people buried together on Monday, October 9. Women and children are overrepresented among the victims. This is because most of the men were away from home, at work, when the disaster struck.
While humanitarian aid has been in short supply in Afghanistan since the Taliban took power and many NGOs left the country, the UN has released $5 million in emergency funding. China, Iran, and Pakistan have already mobilized humanitarian resources, particularly to ensure an adequate supply of tents, blankets, and hygiene kits.
