On 22 June, a powerful 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck southeastern Afghanistan in the early morning.
The tremor left more than 1,000 people dead and some 270,000 affected. The provinces of Giyan, Paktika, and Khost are amongst the hardest hit.
The event has worsened the already-dire humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, where some 24 million people are already in need of humanitarian assistance.
With EU humanitarian funding, the Norwegian Refugee Council has provided cash assistance to over 200 families affected by the devastating earthquake.
Considered the deadliest to strike the country in decades, the earthquake left a trail of massive destruction along its path. Close to 2,000 houses in the affected region have been reduced to rubble, leaving many homeless.
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7-year-old Nasrullah is the only survivor of a 5-member family in Paktika province. He lost his father, mother and 2 sisters. Having lost his home in addition, Nasrullah now lives with his relatives. “I missed my family,” Nasrullah said.
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Shafi, 45, was asleep when the earthquake happened at midnight. “It began with a terrible sound and a strong shaking,” he said. “Then, the roof of the room fell down and injured my hand and feet. We unfortunately lost 3 family members in this earthquake.”
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Almost every family living in the earthquake-affected provinces have children who often have great difficulty coping with memories of the earthquake. Having experienced such a traumatic event, it takes time to regain a sense of safety.
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Following the devastating earthquake, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) immediately conducted needs assessments to evaluate the severity of the quake on people living in the affected areas.
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With EU humanitarian funding, NRC provided €300 (AFN28,000) in cash assistance to nearly 220 families as immediate response. The cash has helped these families to meet their basic needs.
© Norwegian Refugee Council. All rights reserved. Licensed to the European Union under conditions.
Story and photos by the Norwegian Refugee Council.
Publication date: 03/08/2022