UN Calls For urgent Help For Quake-hit Afghan Families As Temperatures Drop

UNITED NATIONS, (APP – UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 22nd Oct, 2023) The relief wing of the United Nations called for “urgent” assistance for Afghan families in Herat, who have lost everything to a series of devastating earthquakes as temperatures dropped into single digits.

With about two-thirds of the affected areas assessed, more than 21,500 homes have been confirmed destroyed, and a further 17,000 have been severely damaged, according to the UN humanitarian affairs coordination office (OCHA). Over 154,000 people have been impacted.

That number includes about 7,500 pregnant women, many of whom lost family members. The deaths of their loved ones have taken a devastating toll, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) said. The agency has deployed psychosocial counselors to help them cope with the overwhelming loss.

“They need someone to listen to them and help them cope with their trauma,” said counselor Faiza Zarie, adding that the availability of psychosocial support is critical.

Women also face other challenges, such as the heightened risks of preventable maternal death, gender-based violence, and hunger.

UNFPA is working to address reproductive health needs.

It issued a funding appeal for $11.6 million to continue delivering life-saving and reproductive health supplies and services.

Access to medical care has also been severely affected, with at least 40 facilities reported damaged in a region that was already largely deprived of essential health services before the disaster. The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that services for about 580,000 people have been severely disrupted.

“Health workers are also affected by the disaster—either from the loss of family members or from the fear of collapsing health facilities, which makes it even harder for them to provide the health care their communities need,” Alaa AbouZeid, WHO team leader for emergencies in Afghanistan, told reporters in Geneva from Kabul. “The health consequences are staggering,” she added.

The UN agency has been one of the first responders on the ground, supporting hospitals with medicines and supplies and organizing mobile health and nutrition teams.

Sustaining health services will require extra resources, and WHO and partners have launched an appeal for $7.9 million to provide support for the next six months.