By: Peter Xiao

On June 22, 2022, a devastating 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck southeast Afghanistan, killing at least 770 people, and injuring 1,440 more. It hit the area in the middle of the night, causing major damage while people were sleeping. The earthquake impacted the Geyan District the most.

Abdul Hanan had stayed the night with his family in Barmal District and saw the destruction that the earthquake had done to his village. “Now there is nothing — our houses are destroyed, we have nothing to eat, nothing to drink, nothing.”

The materials used for the houses made the earthquake more destructive than it should’ve been. Many houses in the area were made from mud and masonry, which are weak to the forces exerted by an earthquake. This caused many houses to fully collapse from the earthquake. The U.N. agency said that in Geyan alone, 1,500 houses were damaged or destroyed.

There were many attempts to help the survivors, including cars and trucks from charities piled up with bread, flour, rice, and blankets. Ambulances were around, treating the injured that couldn’t go to a hospital. Aid organizations set up areas in villages to give these supplies to the needy.

Ali Mohammad, a survivor who wished to be registered with an aid group to get support to be able to rebuild his home, talked about his plan for the future of his family, “I think we’ll leave to continue our life, but then we have to start again from zero.”

Despite the efforts, many factors are preventing help from getting to the Afghan people. The remote environment slows down progress with steep cliffs and dangerous slopes and roads making it difficult for supplies to be transported. The Afghanistan government also has a lack of funds to be able to help the country in a large range.

The U.S. Government is on the fence about directly funding Afghanistan. After the Taliban took control of the country, the Biden administration cut off their access to their $7 billion reserves. The U.S., however, is still sending money to the country’s humanitarian programs, with the country giving over a billion dollars last year.

Other countries are more willing to fund Afghanistan, with South Korea stating that they will give $1 million to the victims of the earthquake and the European Commission donating a sum of $2 million. The U.N. and other donors also have an interest in giving funds.

O.C.H.A, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, says that at least $15 million are needed to be spent on helping Afghanistan in the next three months.

Article: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/06/23/world/afghanistan-earthquake