A third earthquake in six days has hit eastern Afghanistan, bringing more terror and suffering to people still digging through what's left of their homes to find loved ones. The third shock, measuring 5.6, struck late on Thursday 4 September. More than 2,205 people are known to have been killed, but that number is expected to rise.
Solomon Cornelius, Tearfund’s Country Director for Afghanistan said: ‘Each day is bringing new misery for the people of eastern Afghanistan. They tell us they’re in deep shock. All they have is gone, all they see around them is destruction and each new earthquake brings more terror and greater needs.’
‘Many are still trying to find their families in the rubble, but they’re scared there are more tremors to come. Tearfund partners are managing to reach people with food assistance, emergency shelter, clean water, hygiene.’
Tearfund’s partner has sent us audio clips from some of the people they are supporting, showing the devastating needs and appealing for urgent assistance. 15 year old Atif* saw two of his brothers killed and their mother injured:
‘We were so scared – crying and yelling and everyone was scared,’ Atif* said. ‘We couldn’t plan how to get the dead bodies from the fallen roofs, but then our neighbours came and helped us. We’re starting our life from zero because every roof, every wall is cracked and we cannot live here.’
Karim* said: ‘There is no home left in our village, there is no livelihood, there is no livestock. Everything has gone. We will start from zero in the future.’
And Waheed* said: ‘First of all we need shelter because currently my children are sitting under trees and don’t have food. My injured family members need medicines. We have lost everything.’
Many villages have been completely destroyed and roads are damaged or blocked by rockfall. Tearfund’s partners are working to access these areas and provide cash assistance, health support, food, water and emergency shelter. In the longer term people will need support to recover lost livelihoods and businesses.
To support this work, please donate to Tearfund’s appeal at www.tearfund.org/afghanistan
*Names have been changed
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Notes to Editors
For audio files of the voice notes or to arrange an interview with one of our spokespeople for Afghanistan, please call 07929 335 606 or [email protected].
To support Tearfund’s appeal please visit tearfund.org/afghanistan
- £18 could provide three families with clean water and sanitation for a month
- £49 could provide a family with emergency shelter for a month
- £120 could provide two families with food for a month
Voicenote transcripts from earthquake zone
Interviews are in Pashto or Pashai, with English translation from one of Tearfund’s local partners on the audio. More clips and interviews are available on request.
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Atif* is 15 years old. Two of his brothers were killed in the earthquake, and their mother was injured (Pashto with English translation):
‘We were feeling scared, crying, yelling and everyone was scared. We couldn’t plan how to get the dead bodies from the fallen roofs and we were scared and could not do anything, but then our neighbours came and helped us to get the dead bodies out from the soil.
‘We feel in the future that we should repair our home and start our life from zero point because every roof, every wall has cracked and we’re not able to live here. We should start from zero.
‘Everyone in this village has been affected by this earthquake. They need to repair their homes, they need food support and cash support.’
- Karim* (Pashto with English translation):
‘We felt the strong shakes of earth, we felt that someone was falling bombs from aeroplanes, from jets, and they were very scared.
‘Everything here has gone. The houses are destroyed. Families were destroyed. Even the children, the old-aged persons and women are buried under the soil. There is no home in our village, there is no livelihood, there is no livestock. Everything has gone. We will start from zero in the future.’
- Waheed* lost seven of his 13 family members and three more were injured (Pashai with English translation):
‘It was very difficult to see dead bodies and injuries and you could not do anything that night. We all had a feeling of hopelessness and we were scared because everywhere was the sound of crying...
‘Currently we don’t have anything because our homes, rooms, our walls have fallen down. Someone gave me clothes, someone gave me sandals, someone gave me a cap. Nothing is here. We should start from zero. We should rebuild our home, we should rebuild our livelihoods. Currently we don’t have anything, we need cash, we need food, we need medicine… everything has gone.
‘First of all we need shelter because currently my children are sitting under trees and don’t have food. My injured family members need medicines. We have lost everything.’
