Page 11 - Afghanistan

Powerful quake shakes west Afghanistan again a week after killing thousands

A powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck western Afghanistan on Sunday, just over a week after strong quakes and aftershocks killed thousands of people and flattened entire villages in the same region. The U.S. Geological Survey said the latest quake's epicenter was about 34 kilometers (21 miles) outside Herat, the provincial capital, and eight kilometers (five miles) below the surface. There were no immediate official reports of possible casualties or damage. The earthquakes on Oct. 7 flattened whole villages in Herat, in one of the most destructive quakes in the country's recent history. More than 90% of the people killed a week ago were women and children, U.N. officials reported Thursday. Taliban officials said the earlier quakes killed more than 2,000 people across the province. The epicenter was in Zenda Jan district, where 1,294 people died, 1,688 were injured and every home was destroyed, according to U.N. figures. The initial quake, numerous aftershocks and a second ..

UAE sends urgent relief aid to people affected by earthquake in Afghanistan

The shipment was sent on Saturday, and included food parcels and 500 tents, is in line with the UAE's efforts to diversify its humanitarian aid to meet the needs of thousands of people affected

Afghanistan: 7 killed, 15 injured in suicide attack at mosque in Baghlan

Reports have claimed that Taliban members arrived at the spot following the explosion

Over 90% of people killed by Afghanistan quake were women and children: UN

More than 90 per cent of the people killed by a 6.3-magnitude earthquake in western Afghanistan last weekend were women and children, U.N. officials reported Thursday. Taliban officials said Saturday's earthquake killed more than 2,000 people of all ages and genders across Herat province. The epicentre was in Zenda Jan district, where 1,294 people died, 1,688 were injured and every home was destroyed, according to U.N. figures. Women and children were more likely to have been at home when the quake struck in the morning, said Siddig Ibrahim, the chief of the UNICEF field office in Herat. When the first earthquake hit, people thought it was an explosion, and they ran into their homes, he said. Hundreds of people, mostly women, remain missing in Zenda Jan. The Afghanistan representative for the United Nations Population Fund, Jaime Nadal, said there would have been no gender dimension to the death toll if the quake had happened at night. At that time of the day, men were out in the

Over 90% of people killed in Afghanistan quake were women, children: UN

More than 90 per cent of the people killed by a 6.3-magnitude earthquake in western Afghanistan last weekend were women and children, UN officials reported Thursday. Taliban officials said Saturday's earthquake killed more than 2,000 people of all ages and genders across Herat province. The epicenter was in Zenda Jan district, where 1,294 people died, 1,688 were injured and every home was destroyed, according to UN figures. Women and children were more likely to have been at home when the quake struck in the morning, said Siddig Ibrahim, the chief of the UNICEF field office in Herat, said. When the first earthquake hit, people thought it was an explosion, and they ran into their homes, he said. Hundreds of people, mostly women, remain missing in Zenda Jan. The Afghanistan representative for the United Nations Population Fund, Jaime Nadal, said there would have been no gender dimension to the death toll if the quake had happened at night. At that time of the day, men were out in th

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Another massive earthquake strikes Afghanistan: What we know so far

6.3 magnitude earthquake shakes part of western Afghanistan again

Another strong earthquake has shaken part of western Afghanistan where a quake on Saturday killed more than 2,000. The 6.3-magnitude earthquake Wednesday morning was about 28 kilometers outside the capital of Herat province, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The earlier quake that struck Herat was also 6.3 magnitude and has been followed by several strong aftershocks.

Afghanistan earthquake death toll over 4000, nearly 2,000 houses destroyed

The Ministry of Disaster Management of Afghanistan has announced that on Saturday that 1,983 residential houses have also been destroyed in 20 villages in Herat

Afghans still hope to find survivors from earthquake that killed over 2,000

Clinging to hope that finding survivors was still possible, Afghan rescuers and villagers kept digging through rubble on Tuesday in western Herat province, three days after one of the deadliest earthquakes in the region left more than 2,000 dead. Elsewhere in Herat, people were digging graves for their loved ones killed in Saturday's 6.3 magnitude quake. On a barren field in the district of Zinda Jan, a bulldozer removed mounds of earth to clear space for a long row of graves. The epicenter was about 40 kilometers (25 miles) northwest of the city of Herat, the provincial capital, the US Geological Survey said. Several of the aftershocks have been strong, including one on Monday that again caused residents of the city to rush out of their homes. It is very difficult to find a family member from a destroyed house and a few minutes to later bury him or her in a nearby grave, again under the ground, said Mir Agha, from the city of Herat who had joined hundreds of volunteers to help the

Death toll from strong earthquakes that shook Afghanistan rises to 2,000

A powerful magnitude-6.3 earthquake followed by strong aftershocks killed dozens of people in western Afghanistan on Saturday, the country's national disaster authority said. The United Nations gave a preliminary figure of 320 dead, but later said the figure was still being verified. Local authorities gave an estimate of 100 people killed and 500 injured, according to the same update from the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The update also said 465 houses had been reported destroyed and a further 135 were damaged. Partners and local authorities anticipate the number of casualties to increase as search and rescue efforts continue amid reports that some people may be trapped under collapsed buildings, the U.N. said. Disaster authority spokesperson Mohammad Abdullah Jan said four villages in the Zenda Jan district in Herat province bore the brunt of the quake and aftershocks. The United States Geological Survey said the quake's epicentre was about 40 kilomet

Two 6.3 magnitude earthquakes kill nearly 100, injure 500 in Afghanistan

Two 6.3 magnitude earthquakes killed at least 15 and injured nearly 40 others in western Afghanistan on Saturday, said a spokesperson for the country's national disaster authority. Mohammad Abdullah Jan said four villages in the Zenda Jan district in Herat bore the brunt of the quakes and aftershocks. Dozens of houses have been damaged. The United States Geological Survey reported the 6.3 magnitude tremblors. It said the epicentre was 40 kilometres (24.8 miles) northwest of Herat city. There was an aftershock with a 5.5 magnitude. A map on the USGS website indicates seven earthquakes in the area. At least five powerful earthquakes struck the city around noon, Herat city resident Abdul Shakor Samadi said. All people are out of their homes, Samadi said. Houses, offices and shops are all empty and there are fears of more earthquakes. My family and I were inside our home, I felt the quake. His family began shouting and ran outside, afraid to return indoors. Telephone connections went

90% polio cases in Pakistan 'imported' from Afghanistan: Health minister

Nadeem's remarks came after two more samples tested positive for the poliovirus in Pakistan, just a day after this year's third case surfaced

EU Parliament condemns 'gender apartheid policy' of Taliban in Afghanistan

They also condemned the increase in human rights violations in Afghanistan, particularly arbitrary detentions, extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances, and torture by former security forces

Pak holds right to expel individuals, including Afghans: Balochistan govt

"It is important to recognize that Pakistan holds the sovereign right to expel any individuals, including those from Afghanistan if deemed necessary," Balochistan's Jan Achakzai said

Unjust, unfair: Taliban on Pakistan's decision to expel Afghan refugees

The Taliban's acting minister urged the Pakistani people and clerics to stop such "violent" actions against Afghan refugees in the country

Pakistan bans export of 212 items to Afghanistan after imposing import fees

The country has put a ban on the export of 17 types of clothes, all types of vehicle tires, tea leaves, cosmetics and dozens of toiletries

Two-thirds of Afghan families face livelihood challenges: World Bank

In the coming years, South Asian nations are expected to experience significant economic development, according to the new World Bank report

World Food Programme to give assistance to 1.3 mn people across Afghanistan

The ADB added that a $100 million grant will go to the WFP

Taliban needs to meet its commitments to get legitimacy: White House

The Taliban needs to meet its commitments to get legitimacy, the White House has said. We've not recognised them as a governing power in Afghanistan. They want that. They want legitimacy. Then they need to meet their commitments, John Kirby, Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council in the White House, told reporters at a news conference here on Tuesday. I mean, how can you effectively govern, how can you effectively have a useful economy when basically half your workforce, all women, are prohibited from being a part of that process? So, we're going to keep holding them accountable for their commitments, he said in response to a question. Asked if this means that the US will not have any conversation with the Taliban, he replied, Of course not. We're still working to try to get our allies and partners in Afghanistan out. That takes conversation. It takes dialogue. But it's important to the United States to keep meeting our word to the people who hel