WFP appeals for USD 19 mil to provide emergency food in quake-hit Afghanistan

The United Nations World Food Program on Wednesday appealed for USD 19 million to provide emergency assistance to tens of thousands of people affected by a series of devastating earthquakes and aftershocks that has rocked western AfghanistanAna Maria Salhuana deputy country director of the World Food Program in Afghanistan said it was helping survivors but it urgently needed more funding because ldquowe are having to take this food from an already severely underfunded programrdquoThe group said it is working to provide emergency food assistance to 100000 people in the regionldquoDisasters like these earthquakes pound communities who are already barely able to feed themselves back into utter destitution the WFP saidA 63 magnitude earthquake struck part of western Afghanistan on Sunday after thousands of people died and entire villages were flattened by major quakes a week earlierIt was the fourth quake the US Geological Survey has measured at 63 magnitude in the same area in just over a weekThe initial earthquakes on October 7 flattened whole villages in Herat province and were among the most destructive quakes in the countrys recent historyThe WFP said staffers responded within hours of the first earthquakes distributing fortified biscuits pulses and other food items to affected families in destroyed villagesldquoAn estimated 25000 buildings have been destroyed the group said a statement ldquoThe survivors are currently sleeping in tents next to the rubble of their homes desperate and afraid of further earthquakes and aftershocksrdquoThe latest quake was centred about 30 kilometres 19 miles outside the city of Herat the capital of Herat province and was 6 kilometres 4 miles below the surface the US Geological Survey saidMore than 90 per cent of the people killed were women and children UN officials said The quakes struck during the daytime when many of the men in the region were working outdoorsTaliban officials said the earlier quakes killed more than 2000 people across the province The epicentre was in Zenda Jan district where the majority of casualties and damage occurredThe WFP said affected families will need help for months with winter just weeks awayIt said that if there is funding the emergency response will be complemented by longerterm resilience programs so vulnerable communities are able to rebuild their livelihoodsThe UN body was forced earlier this year to reduce the amount of food families receive and to cut 10 million people in Afghanistan from lifesaving food assistance due to a massive funding shortfallIn addition to the earthquake response the WFP also urgently needs USD 400 million to prepare food before winter when communities are cut off due to snow and landslidesIn Afghanistan these include communities of women who are being increasingly pushed out of public lifeThe initial quake numerous aftershocks and a third 63magnitude quake on Wednesday flattened villages destroying hundreds of mudbrick homes that could not withstand such force Schools health clinics and other village facilities also collapsedBesides rubble and funerals after that devastation there was little left of the villages in the regions dusty hillsSurvivors are struggling to come to terms with the loss of multiple family members and in many places living residents are outnumbered by volunteers who came to search the debris and dig mass gravesEarthquakes are common in Afghanistan where there are a number of fault lines and frequent movement among three nearby tectonic platesThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever