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UNICEF says over 90% of Herat earthquake victims are women and children
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) says that more than 90 percent of the victims of this week’s earthquakes in Herat province are women and children.
Aid organizations have said the high casualty toll of women and girls was because of the timing of the first major quake, which happened at 11:11 am on Saturday morning. At that time of the day most village men are out of the house, while women and girls are at home.
In a post on X, on Wednesday, UNICEF also appealed for immediate funding of $20 million to help survivors.
This comes after two 6.3 magnitude quakes on Saturday, followed by a string of strong aftershocks and another 6.3 earthquake Wednesday that was epicentered in Herat but also felt in Farah and Badghis provinces.
Relief operations in Herat continue, while rescue workers continue to look for bodies. On Wednesday, aid organizations said there were over 400 people still missing after Saturday’s disaster.
The United Nations says aid has arrived in the worst-hit areas but that it is not enough.
Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN Secretary General, said: "I can say that some aid has been distributed, but it is not enough. If you are affected anywhere, no aid can arrive quickly and the current situation of aid delivery is challenging. We have international staff and “they are currently evaluating what they can get from other countries. We currently do not have enough funds and we need help."
Pope Francis, the leader of the Catholic church, has also appealed to the foreign community to help the earthquake victims.
He said: "I invite all people of good will to help the people of Afghanistan who have suffered after the devastating earthquake."
The UN has meanwhile said that Wednesday's earthquake also caused major damage to more than 110 villages. Gulran and Injil districts were impacted. In total, an estimated 17,000 people have been impacted by the earthquakes, leaving thousands of people homeless.
Eleven people have been killed in a shooting at a shrine in Afghanistan’s northern Baghlan province, local sources said on Friday.
The incident took place at 9 pm on Thursday at the shrine of Sayed Padsha Jan in Shahr-e-Kuhna of Nahrin district.
A local resident said the dead were residents of Nahrin district and wanted to spend the night at the shrine.
Asadullah Mustafa Hashemi, the provincial information and culture director, confirmed the incident but did not provide details on how it happened or the number of casualties.
Provincial police spokesman said they had not received any information about the incident yet.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Serdar Muhammetdurdiyev on Thursday met with Chinese special envoy for Afghanistan, Yue Xiaoyong, the Foreign Ministry of Turkmenistan announced.
During the meeting, the sides discussed priority vectors of strategic interstate cooperation built on a long-term, mutually beneficial basis, as well as exchanged views on the implementation of previously reached agreements.
It was noted that personal contacts between the leaders of the two countries play a key role in intensifying the interstate dialogue, which give a strong impulse to further development and expansion of Turkmen-Chinese ties.
It was emphasized that Turkmenistan considers multilateral international platforms for maintaining stability in Afghanistan as an important factor in promoting sustainable improvement of socio-economic state of the neighboring country. The sides exchanged views on the preparations to the 5th meeting of Foreign Ministers of Afghanistan's Neighboring States to be held in Turkmenistan.
The interlocutors reaffirmed that Turkmenistan and China will continue to provide all-round support for the economic restoration of Afghanistan.
The U.S. House Of Representatives has passed a legislation on evacuation of Afghans who assisted Americans during the 20-year war in Afghanistan.
“The passage of the CARE Authorization Act of 2024 further underscores the commitment made by the U.S. government to safeguard those who served shoulder-to-shoulder with our personnel during the twenty-year mission in Afghanistan,” Congresswoman Dina Titus said in a statement.
“The State Department has made it clear: There is no deadline for the crucial job of protecting Afghan allies. By authorizing the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts at the State Department, we can more effectively relocate and resettle those who have qualified to immigrate to the U.S. as a result of their service to this country.”
In 2022 the State Department established a specialized office called the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) to streamline and coordinate the ongoing relocation and resettlement process for eligible Afghans from Afghanistan and Pakistan to the United States.
The CARE Authorization Act of 2024 will formally authorize the CARE office at the State Department for three years and grant important authorities to advance its mission. These include an extension of authorities to enter into personal services contracts as well as measures to streamline the transfer of funds to and from other agencies involved in the Afghan relocation mission.
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