Herat earthquake: aid agencies create chink in the Afghanistan blockade

 While we mourn the deaths of nearly a thousand souls in the war in Palestine, more than twice that number have perished as a result of a magnitude 6.3 earthquake in Herat province in Afghanistan. Afghanistan as a nation has suffered from US-promoted sanctions leaving with few of her own resources to alleviate the suffering in Herat. However, non-governmental aid agencies have launched appeals and CNN reports: 

UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Sunday expressed solidarity and called on the international community to “come together and support Afghans impacted by the earthquake – many of whom were already in need before this crisis,” he added.

UN agencies and partners have stepped up support and emergency operations following the earthquake on Saturday – deploying more teams on the ground to join ongoing humanitarian efforts.

“We are coordinating with the de facto authorities to swiftly assess needs and provide emergency assistance,” said spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric.

UNICEF, the UN’s children’s fund, has dispatched 10,000 hygiene kits, 5,000 family kits, 1,500 sets of winter clothes and blankets, 1,000 tarpaulins, and basic household items to ongoing humanitarian efforts.

Teams are also conducting additional assessments on the ground and are providing emergency drugs and tents for overburdened health clinics.