Remote villages destroyed, families decimated in eastern Afghanistan

Scenes of utter devastation continued to emerge Friday in the remote Gayan district of Paktika province, as emergency efforts to treat the injured and provide essential aid continued.

In the village of Slasha, a young girl sat on the rubble of what was once her home, and held on tightly to her young brother who sat on her lap.

Najia told Ariana News at the scene that her mother and two sisters had been killed in the early hours of Wednesday morning when their house collapsed during the quake.

Another resident, Momen Khan, said that of the 30 villages in the district, at least six had been completely destroyed. He said that over 350 people were killed in these six villages.

Another child, of just four, sat with two other girls on rubble in Khanaden village. The four-year-old, Alima, said her mother and three sisters had been killed while her father and another two sisters were injured.

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of Slasha village lay the newly laid out cemetery, with jagged rocks marking each grave. It was here where survivors hurriedly buried their loved ones Thursday, in keeping with Muslim tradition.

Residents said that 80 people had been buried here on Thursday, all of whom had lived in just two villages in the area.

On Friday morning, grieving survivors could be seen sitting at some of the graves as they struggled to come to terms with the tragedy.

One survivor, 65-year-old Abdullah Abed, sat at one grave and said he had lost 12 members of his immediate family in Wednesday’s quake.

Pointing at two graves, he said: “My daughter and my grandson are buried there.”

Again he pointed to more graves and said: “Here, two of my brother’s wives are buried,” adding “and there two of my nephews are buried”.

Jan Mohammad, from Slasha village, said 30 people were killed in his village alone, while Sayed Rahman said he lost five of his immediate family members.

For these survivors, not only have they lost their loved ones but also their homes and livestock.

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) was however quick to respond to the crisis and did not hesitate to call for help.

So much so that Tony Lanzer, the former UN deputy special representative for Afghanistan said Friday that the speed of help provided by this regime in Kabul was quicker than any help provided by the former government in similar circumstances in the past.

Meanwhile, Acting Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani visited quake-hit areas and assured locals they would get help.

He said that although the devastation has happened in remote areas which lack resources, the government is working to address the needs of those affected.

The response to the IEA’s calls for help have so far been positive and emergency aid has been sent in by a number of countries including Iran, Pakistan, Turkey, India, Qatar and the UAE.

Flights are landing directly in Khost in order to speed up the process.

Aid organizations and NGOs have also stepped in to help provide shelter, clothing, blankets and even medical facilities.

While help is being provided, Paktika residents were however subjected to another quake early Friday morning – a 4.3 magnitude temblor.

Eleven others were injured, local officials said.

According to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre, the quake happened at 6:13 a.m. with its epicenter 55 kilometers south-southwest of Khost province.

Khost was the epicenter of Wednesday’s 6.1-magnitude earthquake that killed over 1,000 people and injured 2,000 others. It was the deadliest earthquake in Afghanistan in two decades.