The Taliban pledged on Saturday not to hinder international efforts to help tens of thousands of people affected by Wednesday’s earthquake. The 5.9 magnitude earthquake that hit southeast Afghanistan and left more than 1,000 dead and thousands homeless is a test for the Taliban, who came back to power in August.
Before the earthquake, Afghanistan was already going through a deep economic and humanitarian crisis as the international community closed the doors to financial aid completely.
In the past, humanitarian organizations have accused the Taliban of diverting aid to areas where people support their uprising against the pro-Western government.
But Khan Mohamad Ahmad, a senior Taliban official in Paktika province, which was most affected by the earthquake, promised that there would be no interference in the operations of UN agencies and international NGOs.
“Whether it’s WFP (World Food Programme), UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) or another organization (…), the international community or the United Nations (…), they will distribute (aid) themselves,” he said. However, he stressed that the Taliban will “always be by their side” to support them.
logistical difficulty
This earthquake is the deadliest in Afghanistan in more than two decades. The tragedy poses a significant logistical challenge for the Taliban, whose government is not recognized by any country for its restrictive policy on women’s rights.
Regardless, the international community quickly took action after the earthquake.
Although sometimes it doesn’t reach where people need it most, rescue operations are hampered by the region’s isolation and weather conditions. The rains triggered landslides that delayed aid delivery and damaged telephone and power lines.
Entire cities were destroyed. Authorities estimate that around 10,000 homes, sometimes including 20 people, were damaged.
The country’s top United Nations official, Ramiz Alakbarov, praised Afghans’ courage and resilience after visiting the region on Saturday.
“How many signs of determination are there in the face of eternal adversity,” he told AFP. “The never-ending challenges, the endless tragedy, and yet these people are so precious, so strong. And they want to get over it. They come together as a community, a community,” he added.
Even before the Taliban came to power, Afghan relief services were inadequate to deal with a major natural disaster alone. The government used the military, but it has few resources and a very limited number of helicopters and planes.
Afghanistan experiences frequent earthquakes, especially in the Hindu Kush mountain range, located at the intersection of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates.
source: Noticias
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