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Death toll climbs to over 900 following major earthquake in Afghanistan

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Wednesday’s earthquake of magnitude 6.1 killed at least 920 people and injured 600 more in remote mountain villages in Afghanistan’s eastern Paktika and Khost provinces.

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Sharafuddin Muslim, the deputy state minister for disaster management, confirmed the revised death toll and said Barmal district of Paktika was the most affected region.

However, officials said the toll is expected to grow as information trickles in from remote mountain villages.

Helicopters were deployed in the rescue effort to reach the injured and fly in medical supplies and food, said another official.

Wednesday’s quake was the deadliest since 2002. It struck about 44 km from the southeastern city of Khost, near the border with Pakistan, the US Geological Survey (USGC) said.

Most of the confirmed deaths were in the eastern province of Paktika.

Haibatullah Akhundzada, the supreme leader of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) offered his condolences in a statement.

The United Nations office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) said Afghanistan had asked humanitarian agencies to help with rescue efforts, and teams were being despatched to the quake-hit area.

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Health ministry says China will reconstruct Mirwais Regional Hospital in Kandahar

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The Ministry of Public Health announced that China has pledged comprehensive support for the reconstruction and development of the Mirwais Regional Hospital in Kandahar.

According to a statement from the ministry, China’s ambassador to Kabul Zhao Xing conveyed this during a meeting with Noor Jalal Jalali, the acting minister of public health.

Zhao also expressed support for enhancing the capacity of healthcare workers, providing essential equipment, and supplying necessary medicines for the Mirwais Regional Hospital.

During the meeting, he stated: “In the near future, with joint coordination from the Ministry of Public Health, the reconstruction and development of the Mirwais Regional Hospital will commence.”

The 600-bed hospital was built with aid from China in 1979, but services have been affected by years of fighting in the region.

The hospital was damaged during the 2001-2021 war in the country but continued to be used.

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Domestic tourists visit Nuristan, Afghanistan’s eastern winter wonderland

Most of Nuristan is covered by mountainous forests and the entire province was designated a protected national park in 2020.

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The picturesque mountain province of Nuristan, in eastern Afghanistan, has once again been transformed into a winter wonderland with good snowfalls having been recorded.

Located on the southern slopes of the Hindu Kush mountains, Nuristan is the least populated province in the country with an estimated population of only about 170,000.

Most of Nuristan is covered by mountainous forests and the entire province was designated a protected national park in 2020.

While some visitors manage to reach remote villages, this is a huge challenge given the poor condition of the roads.

Local officials say they are trying to rebuild the roads.

Local officials have also said they are trying to boost tourism by creating facilities for visitors.

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Lavrov, Aragchi: Afghanistan situation of particular interest to both Russia and Iran

Tehran and Moscow are holding joint consultations on the situation in Afghanistan in various formats, alongside China and Pakistan

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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi said in a joint press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday that developments in Afghanistan are of particular importance to both countries. 

He also emphasized that Tehran and Moscow are holding joint consultations on the situation in Afghanistan in various formats, alongside China and Pakistan.

Lavrov said after meeting with Aragchi that the two diplomats discussed the success of the economic forum held in Iran in January “and discussed our relations with Afghanistan, with which we cooperate in a variety of formats, including the Moscow Format and a meeting between the countries neighbouring Afghanistan and the Big Four that includes China, Iran, Russia, and Pakistan.”

Lavrov was in Iran Tuesday for consultations with high-ranking Iranian officials. 

Lavrov’s Iranian counterpart, Aragchi said the Afghanistan situation has been of close interest to both countries over the years. 

“The developments in Afghanistan are of interest to us and Russia. Our talks have always continued in this regard, and we intend to consult each other more on this issue,” he said.
 
Experts have highlighted the role of Iran and Russia in Afghanistan’s foreign policy as important, saying that Kabul’s good relations with neighboring countries and the region can be constructive for the future of Afghanistan.
Although Russia and Iran have not yet recognized the Islamic Emirate, they have maintained close relations with the Islamic Emirate government. 

Tehran has consistently emphasized resolving the issue of Afghanistan’s legitimacy through regional consensus and full political inclusion in Afghanistan.

 

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