Quake-Ravaged Afghanistan Faces Looming Winter Crisis, UN Warns

On August 31st, a powerful 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck Afghanistan's remote eastern region, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. According to the initial UN assessment, the quake has destroyed 5,230 homes and damaged 672 more in 49 villages. However, the UN has been unable to reach the vast majority of the 441 affected villages due to the region's rugged and mountainous terrain, as well as a series of damaging aftershocks.

The earthquake has had a devastating impact, killing at least 2,200 people, with the death toll expected to rise as more bodies are recovered. The UN estimates that up to 500,000 people have been affected, more than half of them children, including some Afghans who had been forcibly returned from neighboring Pakistan and Iran.

The rescue and aid efforts have been severely hampered by the damaged roads and ongoing aftershocks. Shannon O'Hara, the UN's coordination chief in Afghanistan, described the arduous journey to the worst-hit areas, which took over 6 hours to cover just 100 kilometers on a narrow, single-lane mountain track. Families displaced by the quake were seen walking in the opposite direction, carrying what little they could salvage.

As the UN team reached the epicenter, the devastation only worsened, with entire villages destroyed and the overwhelming stench of dead animals. Many survivors are now living in crowded tents or under the open sky, with no access to clean water, sanitation, or adequate shelter. The UN warns that the potential for a cholera outbreak is alarming, and the region faces a looming winter crisis as the first snowfall approaches at the end of October.

The UN is now preparing to launch an emergency appeal for desperately needed funding to help the quake survivors, as time is of the essence to provide them with the essential aid they require to survive the coming winter.