Meanwhile, a number of farmers say that to boost the country’s economic growth, support for farmers is essential.
The head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), in a meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister for Political Affairs, said that UNAMA is working to organize a meeting on alternative crop cultivation to poppy, treatment of drug addicts, and assistance to farmers.
According to a statement from the Presidential Palace, this meeting is expected to be held soon with the participation of representatives from various countries, organizations, and the Islamic Emirate.
Hamidullah Fitrat, the Deputy Spokesperson of the Islamic Emirate, regarding the meeting between Roza Otunbayeva and Mullah Abdul Kabir, said: “UNAMA is trying to organize a meeting for alternative crop cultivation to poppy and other narcotics, treatment of addicts, and cooperation with farmers, in which representatives of the Islamic Emirate are also invited.”
At the same time, some political analysts consider holding such meetings on Afghanistan important.
Janat Faheem Chakari, a political analyst, told TOLOnews: “The fundamental way is to establish an agricultural development bank in Afghanistan that creates cooperatives through banks and supports farmers through these cooperatives.”
Qaribullah Sadat, another political analyst, said: “If not completely eradicated, it is nearly zero. A substitute for preventing future risks is an urgent necessity, and it should be considered by international organizations and countries affected by this issue.”
Meanwhile, a number of farmers say that to boost the country’s economic growth, support for farmers is essential.
Mushk Alam, one of the farmers, told TOLOnews: “Gardens of walnut and cumin should be established, and improved seeds should be distributed to farmers.”
Another farmer, Abdul Shakoor, said: “We request all organizations to help farmers so they can support their families by cultivating other crops.
Rina Amiri (left) with U.N. Undersecretary General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo. (Courtesy Amiri’s X).
ISLAMABAD — An American diplomat has condemned the Taliban’s new morality law in Afghanistan, warning that it “aims to complete the erasure of women from public life.”
Rina Amiri, the United States special envoy for Afghan women, girls, and human rights, posted on social media late Tuesday that she raised concerns about the law during her recent meetings with counterparts in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
“My message was clear: Our support for the Afghan people remains steadfast, but patience with the Taliban is running out,” Amiri wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “The way to legitimacy domestically & internationally is respecting the rights of the Afghan people.”
The U.S. warning comes days after the Taliban’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, enacted the contentious decree that orders Afghan women not to speak aloud in public and cover their bodies and faces entirely when outdoors.
The 114-page, 35-article law also outlines various actions and specific conduct that the Taliban government, called the Islamic Emirate, considers mandatory or prohibited for Afghan men and women in line with its strict interpretation of Islam.
The legal document empowers the Ministry for Promoting Virtue and Preventing Vice, which the Taliban revived after coming back to power in August 2021, to enforce it strictly.
Enforcers are empowered to discipline offenders, and penalties may include anything from a verbal warning to fines to imprisonment. The law requires them to prevent “evils” such as adultery, extramarital sex, lesbianism, taking pictures of living objects and befriending non-Muslims.
Official Taliban media quoted Akhundzada this week as ordering authorities to “rigorously enforce” the new vice and virtue decree across Afghanistan “to bring the people closer to the Islamic system.”
The law was enacted amid extensive restrictions on Afghan women’s education and employment opportunities.
Since regaining power three years ago, the Taliban have prohibited girls ages 12 and older from continuing their education beyond the sixth grade and restricted women from seeking employment, except in certain sectors such as health.
Afghan females are not allowed to visit parks and other public places, and a male guardian must accompany them on road trips or air travel.
The United Nations promptly responded to the new law last month, condemning it as a “distressing vision” for the impoverished country’s future and urging de facto authorities to reverse it.
The Taliban government, which is officially not recognized by any country, has dismissed U.N.-led foreign criticism as offensive.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the chief Taliban spokesperson, asserted that “non-Muslims should first educate themselves about Islamic laws and respect Islamic values” before expressing concerns or rejecting the law. “We find it blasphemous to our Islamic Sharia when objections are raised without understanding it,” he said.
US voices impatience with Taliban over morality law targeting Afghan women
The U.S. Embassy for Afghanistan has implicitly criticized the ban on girls’ education in the country, stating that 2.5 million Afghan girls have been deprived of education.
On social media platform X, the embassy supported the “Let Girls Learn” campaign and emphasized that no one should be denied their right to education.
The U.S. Embassy highlighted that 80% of girls are currently unable to access education without directly referencing the Taliban’s decrees, which are the primary reason for the three-year ban on girls’ education.
The “Let Girls Learn” campaign was launched on social media about three years ago following the imposition of the ban. In response to the campaign, universities and educational organizations set up online learning platforms to provide some educational opportunities for girls.
In addition to prohibiting education, the Taliban regime has also banned any inquiries about the reopening of schools for girls until further notice.
Meanwhile, the current restrictions on education, employment, and free movement for girls and women in Afghanistan are exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis.
The lack of access to education not only limits future opportunities for Afghanistan’s girls but also perpetuates the cycle of poverty and disenfranchisement. The forced deportation of refugees further compounds the crisis and humanitarian resources.
The international community must continue to press for the restoration of fundamental rights for Afghanistan’s girls and women. Persistent advocacy and support for educational initiatives are essential in overcoming these barriers and ensuring that all individuals have the opportunity to contribute to their societies.
US: 80% of girls in Afghanistan are deprived of education
Noor Jalal Jalali, the acting Minister of Public Health, also highlighted the improvement of healthcare services in the country.
Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, the Deputy Prime Minister for Political Affairs, said today (Thursday) during the graduation ceremony of 300 specialists from the Ministry of Public Health’s Specialization Enhancement Department that the Islamic Emirate’s political relations with regional and extra-regional countries are expanding.
The Deputy Prime Minister for Political Affairs also mentioned in this program that several other countries are expected to accept the Islamic Emirate’s political representatives soon.
Mawlawi Abdul Kabir added: “We have active diplomatic relations with regional and extra-regional countries, and in the near future, a number of other countries will also accept diplomats and political representatives of the Islamic Emirate.”
In this program, the Administrative Deputy of the Prime Minister’s Office stressed improving healthcare services in the country, noting that various sectors, especially health, have been damaged due to imposed wars and require serious attention.
Abdul Salam Hanafi, the Administrative Deputy of the Prime Minister, said: “We need to build clinics in all areas of Afghanistan, especially in remote areas, and our provincial hospitals, regional hospitals, and hospitals in the capital truly need reform and strengthening.”
Noor Jalal Jalali, the acting Minister of Public Health, also highlighted the improvement of healthcare services in the country.
The acting Minister of Public Health said: “We must have specialists equipped with new technology. Their capacities should be enhanced so that our suffering people can be spared from traveling abroad.”
Neda Mohammad Nadim, the acting Minister of Higher Education, who was another speaker at the event, called on newly specialized doctors in various fields to consider Islamic principles in fulfilling their responsibilities and to be committed to the people and the country.
The acting Minister of Higher Education said: “This country and its Muslims have a right over you; every expense made on you has come from this country. You are responsible for serving this country and remaining committed to it.”
Abdul Baqi Haqqani, the acting head of the National Examination Authority, also stressed improving educational services and transparency in examinations. He added: “Many young people are only concerned with obtaining a certificate and do not think about knowledge. This has caused the loss of people’s trust.”
Meanwhile, some doctors who have specialized in various fields are calling on the Islamic Emirate to pay attention to increasing doctors’ salaries and providing more healthcare facilities.
“We have limited facilities. Our doctors do not have global-standard facilities. We are facing challenges,” said Mustafa, one of the graduates.
According to the Ministry of Public Health officials, this is the first time that 300 individuals, 80 of whom are women, have received certificates in 27 specialized fields.
Kabir: Our Diplomats Will Soon Be Accepted in Several Countries
Three years into its rule, the movement has codified its harsh Islamic decrees into law that now includes a ban on women’s voices in public.
No education beyond the sixth grade. No employment in most workplaces and no access to public spaces like parks, gyms and salons. No long-distance travel if unaccompanied by a male relative. No leaving home if not covered from head to toe.
And now, the sound of a woman’s voice outside the home has been outlawed in Afghanistan, according to a 114-page manifesto released late last month that codifies all of the Taliban government’s decrees restricting women’s rights.
A large majority of the prohibitions have been in place for much of the Taliban’s three years in power, slowly squeezing Afghan women out of public life. But for many women across the country, the release of the document feels like a nail in the coffin for their dreams and aspirations.
Some had clung to the hope that the authorities might still reverse the most severe limitations, after Taliban officials suggested that high schools and universities would eventually reopen for women after they were shuttered. For many women, that hope is now dashed.
“We are going back to the first reign of the Taliban, when women did not have the right to leave the house,” said Musarat Faramarz, 23, a woman in Baghlan Province, in northern Afghanistan, referring to the movement’s rule from 1996 to 2001. “I thought that the Taliban had changed, but we are experiencing the previous dark times again.”
Since the Taliban regained power in August 2021, the authorities have systematically rolled back the rights that women — particularly those in less conservative urban centers — had won during the 20-year U.S. occupation. Today, Afghanistan is the most restrictive country in the world for women, and the only one that bans high school education for girls, experts say.
The publication of the regulations has ignited fears of a coming crackdown by emboldened officers of the so-called vice and virtue police, the government officials who don white robes and are stationed on street corners to ensure that the country’s morality laws are observed.
The manifesto defines for the first time the enforcement mechanisms that can be used by these officers. While they have frequently issued verbal warnings, those officers are now empowered to damage people’s property or detain them for up to three days if they repeatedly violate the vice and virtue laws.
Before the announcement of the laws, Freshta Nasimi, 20, who lives in Badakhshan Province in northeastern Afghanistan, had held on to any shred of hope she could find.
For a while, she was sustained by a rumor she heard from classmates that the government would broadcast girls’ schooling over the television — a concession that would allow girls to learn while keeping them in their home. But that dream was snuffed out after the authorities in Khost Province, in the country’s east, banned such programs from the airwaves earlier this year. That signaled that other parts of the country could implement similar bans.
Now, Ms. Nasimi says, she is trapped at home. The new law barring women’s voices — they are considered an intimate part of a woman that must be covered — effectively ensures that she cannot leave the house without a male relative. She worries that no taxi driver will speak with her, for fear of being reprimanded by the Taliban, she said, and no shopkeeper will entertain her requests.
She has accepted that her aspirations of becoming an engineer — with the steady income and freedom it would bring — are finished.
“My future?” she asked, resigned. “I don’t have a future except being a housewife and raising children.”
The publication of the vice and virtue laws, analysts say, is part of a governmentwide effort to codify the workings of every ministry to ensure they adhere to the extreme vision of Shariah law institutionalized by the Taliban’s leader, Sheikh Haibatullah Akhundzada. The document is also, analysts say, intended to stamp out any Western principles of the U.S.-backed government that ran Afghanistan before the Taliban’s return to power.
The Taliban’s takeover ended decades of war. But their restrictions, and the economic fallout, threw many women into a new era of diminished hopes.
The Taliban have forcefully rejected outside pressure to ease the restrictions on women, even as the policies have isolated Afghanistan from much of the West. Taliban officials defend the laws as rooted in the Islamic teachings that govern the country. “Afghanistan is an Islamic nation; Islamic laws are inherently applicable within its society,” the spokesman for the government, Zabiullah Mujahid, said in a statement.
But the regulations have drawn widespread criticism from human rights groups and the United Nations mission in Afghanistan. The mission’s head, Roza Otunbayeva, called them “a distressing vision for Afghanistan’s future” that extends the “already intolerable restrictions” on women’s rights.
Even visual cues of womanhood have been slowly scrubbed from the public realm.
Over the past three years, women’s faces have been torn from advertisements on billboards, painted over in murals on school walls and scratched off posters lining city streets. The heads of female mannequins, dressed in all-black, all-concealing abayas, are covered in tinfoil.
Even before the new manifesto, the threat of being reprimanded by the vice and virtue police lingered in the air as women were barred from more and more public places.
“I live at home like a prisoner,” said Ms. Faramarz, the woman from Baghlan. “I haven’t left the house in three months,” she added.
The reversal of rights has been perhaps the hardest for the girls who came of age in an era of opportunity for women during the U.S. occupation.
Some girls, determined to plow ahead with their education, have found ad hoc ways to do so. Underground schools for girls, often little more than a few dozen students and a tutor tucked away in people’s private homes, have cropped up across the country. Others have turned to online classes, even as the internet cuts in and out.
Mohadisa Hasani, 18, began studying again about a year after the Taliban seized power. She had talked to two former classmates who were evacuated to the United States and Canada. Hearing about what they were studying in school stoked jealousy in her at first. But then she saw opportunity, she said.
She asked those friends to spend an hour each week teaching her the lessons they were learning in physics and chemistry. She woke up for the calls at 6 a.m. and spent the days in between poring over photos of textbooks sent by the friends, Mina and Mursad.
“Some of my friends are painting, they are writing, they are doing underground taekwondo classes,” Ms. Hasani said. “Our depression is always there, but we have to be brave.”
“I love Afghanistan, I love my country. I just don’t love the government and people forcing their beliefs onto others,” she added.
The classes and artistic outlets, while informal, have given girls, especially in more progressive cities, a dose of hope and purpose. But the reach of those programs goes only so far.
Rahmani, 43, who preferred to go by only her surname for fear of retribution, said that she began taking sleeping pills every night to dampen the anxiety she feels over providing for her family.
A widow, Ms. Rahmani worked for nonprofit groups for nearly 20 years before the Taliban seized power, earning more than enough to provide for her four children. Now, she says, she not only cannot provide for them after women were barred from working for such groups — but she has also lost her sense of self.
“I miss the days when I used to be somebody, when I could work and earn a living and serve my country,” Ms. Rahmani explained. “They have erased our presence from society.”
Christina Goldbaum is the Afghanistan and Pakistan bureau chief for The Times, leading the coverage of the region.
Najim Rahim is a reporter in the Kabul, Afghanistan, bureau.
With New Taliban Manifesto, Afghan Women Fear the Worst
The recent report of the United Nations Security Council highlights internal divisions among its members regarding the approach to the situation in Afghanistan.
The September 2024 Monthly Forecast revealed a lack of consensus on how best to support the country and address its complex issues.
While there is general agreement on the desire for a prosperous and peaceful Afghanistan free from terrorism, members differ on strategies. Some, including France, the UK, and the United States, advocate for holding the Taliban to international norms to gain recognition and aid.
These members support maintaining pressure on the Taliban, especially concerning their policies on women’s rights. They believe that without adherence to international standards, the Taliban should not receive international support.
Conversely, China and Russia propose a different approach. They suggest that assistance to Afghanistan should not be tied to issues like human rights. They favor dialogue and engagement with the Taliban rather than increased pressure.
China has been actively engaging with the Taliban by sending an ambassador to Kabul and accepting diplomatic credentials from the Taliban envoy. However, China has stopped short of officially recognizing the Taliban as Afghanistan’s government.
Russia, on the other hand, is contemplating removing the Taliban from its list of banned organizations, signaling a potential shift towards greater engagement with the Taliban.
The report also mentioned a potential press statement critical of the Taliban’s new law restricting women’s rights. Two Council members blocked this statement, arguing that it should be treated as an internal matter and that the implications are still under review by UNAMA.
The Security Council will hold a meeting later this month for a quarterly briefing on Afghanistan. Special Representative Roza Otunbayeva and UN Women Executive Director Sima Sami Bahous are expected to present their reports, with closed consultations to follow.
UN Security Council divided on approach to Afghanistan issue
The House Foreign Affairs Committee has summoned Antony Blinken, the U.S. Secretary of State, to testify regarding the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Michael McCaul, the committee chairman, has warned Blinken that if he does not appear before the committee on September 19, he could face charges of contempt of Congress.
The U.S. State Department has stated that Blinken is unavailable on that date but has proposed “reasonable alternatives” for attending a public session.
In a letter to the State Department dated Tuesday, September 3rd, Michael McCaul wrote that both current and former U.S. officials have confirmed that Antony Blinken was the “final decision-maker” regarding the withdrawal of American forces and the evacuation process from Afghanistan.
McCaul has requested that Blinken address his role before the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
In his letter, McCaul wrote: “You are in a position to inform the committee about potential legislative changes aimed at preventing catastrophic mistakes during the withdrawal, including possible reforms regarding the legal authority of the State Department.”
Matthew Miller, a spokesperson for the State Department, described the summons for Blinken’s testimony as “unnecessary” in a statement released on Tuesday, September 3rd, noting that the Secretary of State has already testified about the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan 14 times before Congress.
US House of Representatives summons Blinken to testify on Afghanistan withdrawal
Georgette Gagnon also has prior experience working in Afghanistan. From 2010 to 2015, she was the Director of Human Rights at UNAMA in Kabul.
The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Canadian Georgette Gagnon as the Deputy Special Representative (Political) for Afghanistan in the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).
Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, announced in a press briefing that Georgette Gagnon, with over 28 years of experience working in peace, human rights, humanitarian assistance, and development sectors in conflict-affected countries, has replaced Markus Potzel.
Dujarric told reporters: “United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres today announced the appointment of Georgette Gagnon of Canada as his new Deputy Special Representative (Political) for Afghanistan in the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). Ms. Gagnon succeeds Markus Potzel of Germany, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for his dedicated service in support of the mandate of the mission. Ms. Gagnon brings to the position more than 28 years of experience in supporting peacebuilding processes and leading strategic initiatives on human rights, humanitarian action and development in conflict and post-conflict settings. Since 2021, Ms. Gagnon has served as Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya in the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Libya.”
Georgette Gagnon also has prior experience working in Afghanistan. From 2010 to 2015, she was the Director of Human Rights at UNAMA in Kabul. In 2021, Gagnon was appointed as the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Libya.
Moeen Gul Samkanai, a political analyst, commented on Georgette Gagnon’s appointment: “She [Georgette Gagnon] has rich experience working in various sectors and experience in Afghanistan. I believe in the current circumstances, she will be effective for women’s rights.”
“The Islamic Emirate has not commented on the appointment of the political deputy of UNAMA; however, it has requested that UNAMA play its role in fostering positive interactions between Afghanistan and the world,” said Edris Mohammadi Zazai, another political analyst.
Hamdullah Fitrat, Deputy Spokesperson of the Islamic Emirate, said: “We want UNAMA’s activities in Afghanistan to be effective, and for this organization to assert its role in Afghanistan’s relations with world countries.”
Markus Potzel of Germany, with over 27 years of experience in diplomacy and international cooperation, and eight years of working experience in Afghanistan, was appointed as the Political Deputy of UNAMA by the UN Secretary-General in June 2022.
Georgette Gagnon Appointed Political Deputy of UNAMA
IOM added that since 2022, climate change has been recognized as the main driver of internal displacement in Afghanistan.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM), in its latest report, has named Afghanistan as one of the ten countries most vulnerable to climate change.
According to this organization, despite contributing minimally to global carbon emissions, Afghanistan ranks among the top ten countries most affected by climate change.
IOM added that since 2022, climate change has been recognized as the main driver of internal displacement in Afghanistan.
The organization said: “Since 2022, climate change has replaced conflict as the primary driver of internal displacement in the country, according to the International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) data.”
The report also mentioned droughts and severe floods in the past three years, which, according to the organization, have affected half of the country’s population.
The IOM report reads: “Severe droughts and floods have worsened over the last three years, now impacting more than half of Afghanistan’s population. These events have caused water shortages, land damage, desertification, food insecurity, economic difficulties and displacement.”
Earlier, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) had also reported the number of internally displaced persons to be over three million.
Afghanistan Among Top Ten Countries Most Vulnerable to Climate Change
LONDON/SEOUL, Aug 23 (Reuters) – Singapore Airlines, British Airways (ICAG.L), opens new tab and Lufthansa (LHAG.DE), opens new tab have increased their flights over Afghanistan after years of largely avoiding it now the Middle East conflict has made it seem a relatively safe option.
The carriers mostly stopped transiting Afghanistan, which lies on major routes between Asia and Europe, three years ago when the Taliban took over and air traffic control services stopped.
Those services have yet to resume, but airlines increasingly consider the skies between Iran and Israel are riskier than Afghan airspace. Many had started routing through Iran and the Middle East after Russian skies were closed to most western carriers when the Ukraine war began in 2022.
“As conflicts have evolved, the calculus of which airspace to use has changed. Airlines are seeking to mitigate risk as much as possible and they see overflying Afghanistan as the safer option given the current tensions between Iran and Israel,” Ian Petchenik, a spokesperson for flight tracking organisation Flightradar24, said.
There were more than seven times the number of flights over Afghanistan in the second week of August than during the same period a year ago, according to a Reuters analysis of FlightRadar24 data.
Reuters Graphics
The shift began in mid-April during reciprocal missile and drone attacks between Iran and Israel. Flight tracking data from the time shows Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, British Airways and others began to send a few flights a day over Afghanistan.
Flight path of Singapore Airlines flight 326 from Singapore to Frankfurt
But the main growth has been since the killing of senior members of militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah in late July raised concerns of a major escalation.
Some pilots are concerned.
“You’re depending on the analysis of your airline. Every time I fly out there, I don’t like the feeling of flying over a conflict area where you don’t know, actually, what is happening,” said Otjan de Bruin, a commercial pilot and head of the European Cockpit Association.
“It’s always safe enough, until proven otherwise.”
Flight path of Singapore Airlines flight 326 from Singapore to Frankfurt Daily flights over Afghanistan for select airline groups
Lufthansa Group told Reuters it decided to resume overflying Afghan airspace from early July.
“Based on actual security information, KLM and other airlines currently safely overfly Afghanistan only on specific routes and only at high altitudes,” KLM told Reuters.
British Airways, Thai Airways, Turkish Airlines and Singapore Airlines did not respond to requests for comment.
Taiwan’s EVA Air (2618.TW), opens new tab began from late July, flight tracking data shows. EVA told Reuters it chooses routes based on safety, the current international situation and flight advisories.
REGULATION’S ROLE
The route changes have been facilitated by aviation regulators easing guidance on Afghanistan.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in early July said planes could fly at a lower altitude over a sliver of north-eastern Afghanistan, the Wakhan Corridor, which is used to cross from Tajikistan to Pakistan – opening that path to more types of flights.
A year earlier, the FAA lifted its ban on overflights for the entire country, but said planes must stay above 32,000 feet (9,753.6 m) where surface-to-air weapons are considered less effective.
But few started using Afghanistan until April.
Although more traffic has been using the airspace without incident, there is no guarantee of crew or passenger safety if a plane has to land, flight safety group OPSGROUP said in July.
In the absence of air traffic control, pilots crossing Afghanistan talk to nearby planes over radio according to a protocol drawn up by U.N. aviation body ICAO and Afghanistan’s Civil Aviation Authority.
European aviation safety regulator EASA said in a conflict-zone information bulletin re-issued in July that “extremist non-state actor groups remain active and might sporadically target aviation facilities in multiple ways.”
The industry is haunted by the memory of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, which was shot down over eastern Ukraine in 2014, as fighting raged between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces.
There are few international rules that dictate which areas of airspace are safe and airline safety decisions are left largely to the discretion of individual carriers.
If an airline cannot fly through Russia, Ukraine or Iran, central Afghanistan offers a more direct route into southern Asia from Europe.
“This route saved us a fair chunk of time and fuel,” OPSGROUP reported from a pilot in July who flew from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur across central Afghanistan.
Exclusive: Airlines fly over Afghanistan as Middle East becomes the greater risk
The United Nations says aid workers are still in a “race against time” to remove rubble and rebuild after the devastating earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan last month, killing at least 2,200 people and cutting off remote areas.
The 6.0-magnitude quake on Aug. 31 was shallow, destroying or causing extensive damage to low-rise buildings in the mountainous region. It hit late at night, and homes — mostly made of mud, wood, or rocks — collapsed instantly, becoming death traps.
Satellite data shows that about 40,500 truckloads of debris still needs to be cleared from affected areas in several provinces, the United Nations Development Program said Wednesday. Entire communities have been upended and families are sleeping in the open, it added.
The quake’s epicenter was in remote and rugged Kunar province, challenging rescue and relief efforts by the Taliban government and humanitarian groups. Authorities deployed helicopters or airdropped army commandos to evacuate survivors. Aid workers walked for hours on foot to reach isolated communities.
“This is a race against time,” said Devanand Ramiah, from the UNDP’s Crisis Bureau. “Debris removal and reconstruction operations must start safely and swiftly.”
People’s main demands were the reconstruction of houses and water supplies, according to a spokesman for a Taliban government committee tasked with helping survivors, Zia ur Rahman Speenghar.
People were getting assistance in cash, food, tents, beds, and other necessities, Speenghar said Thursday. Three new roads were under construction in the Dewagal Valley, and roads would be built to areas where there previously were none.
“Various countries and organizations have offered assistance in the construction of houses but that takes time. After the second round of assistance, work will begin on the third round, which is considering what kind of houses can be built here,” the spokesman said.
Afghanistan is facing a “perfect storm” of crises, including natural disasters like the recent earthquake, said Roza Otunbayeva, who leads the U.N. mission to the country.
Afghanistan Peace Campaign
