State of Emergency in Kunar; Search for Victims Continues, 14 Relief Committees Active

Afghan Voice Agency (AVA) - Kabul: After last week’s deadly earthquake in Kunar Province that killed hundreds of people, injured thousands more, and caused huge financial losses, experts say the depth of the disaster and the exact extent of the damage caused by this natural disaster are still unclear.

Hafez Mohammad Yousef Hamad, spokesman for the National Disaster Management Authority, said in an interview with Ava: "This agency took action from the first minutes of the earthquake in Kunar province and took various measures." According to him, in coordination with other agencies, search teams were dispatched to the area, the martyrs and injured were transferred to hospitals in the early hours, and food and non-food items were delivered to the injured.

He added: "The National Disaster Management Authority has established fourteen committees to transfer the martyrs and injured and to deal with the injured, which are active day and night."

According to Hamad, in addition to field activities, this agency has established camps for those whose houses were destroyed in the earthquake so that the victims can be accommodated and cared for.

He continued: "In the process of distributing aid, priorities are considered and aid is distributed in stages based on urgent needs." “As yesterday, first 220 people who were in urgent need were provided with assistance, and then 300 tons of needed materials were distributed, and this process is still ongoing.”

He explained: Fourteen committees, including the Survey and Distribution Committee, are working daily in cooperation with national and international institutions, and given the possibility of other earthquakes and aftershocks, there are also necessary preparations.

In response to a question about transparency in the distribution of aid, Hamad emphasized: “The distribution of all domestic and foreign aid to the affected people is carried out with careful survey and monitoring, and there is no corruption in this regard.”

Despite expressing relative satisfaction with the amount of aid, he said: “Given the extensive volume of destruction and damage, this aid is not enough, and it is necessary for the countries of the world, international aid organizations, and the people of Afghanistan, especially businessmen and capitalists, to show more attention.”

Hamad once again noted: "All international and public aid to the Kunar earthquake victims is being carried out in coordination with the National Disaster Management Authority, and this authority plans to establish larger and standard camps for the victims in the future."

 

Obligations of the Disaster Management Authority

Meanwhile, Abdullah Walizadeh, a former official of the State Ministry for Disaster Management, said in an interview with Ava: The State Ministry for Disaster Management is obliged to take care of the victims within the first 72 hours of the incident.

He explained: "Creating temporary shelters, delivering health kits, providing food and medicine, clothing and other basic necessities for the victims are among the main duties of this ministry. In the long term, if it wants to act beyond its mandate, it can interact with international organizations and force them to send emergency aid."

Walizadeh described the recent Kunar earthquake as a "tragic tragedy" and said: "This natural disaster, which was a humanitarian disaster, buried the villagers while they were sleeping and caused serious loss of life and property. This situation requires domestic and international institutions to take urgent measures, because if it is not addressed, the depth of the disaster will increase." He emphasized the need to build houses and shelters for the affected people and added: "Unfortunately, there is no insurance system in Afghanistan, while in other countries, governments are obliged to build a new house for a person if their shelter is destroyed by an accident. But there is no such law in Afghanistan. What the Ministry of State for Disaster Management can do is interact with international institutions, attract funds and allocate them for the reconstruction of lost houses and shelters." He noted that the Ministry of State for Disaster Management also has an "Emergency Committee" within itself. This committee includes representatives from all ministries of Afghanistan and was previously chaired by the Vice President. The committee’s task is to coordinate with all ministries and respond to emergencies. According to Walizadeh, the emergency committee is tasked with mobilizing all ministries in times of emergency and using all its power to address emergencies without causing interference or disorder.