A series of deadly earthquakes have rocked Afghanistan. It is no small coincidence that the most remote villages of Kunar province are suffering the most catastrophic impacts. That toll has quickly risen beyond 1,400 as a second quake hit the region. At the same time, the extent of that destruction is just starting to become apparent, with over 5,400 homes already confirmed destroyed. The region’s fragile healthcare system, already weakened prior to the Taliban’s takeover in 2021, now grapples with increasing demands and dwindling resources.
The quakes have taken a staggering human toll. They have simultaneously blocked access to the areas affected by these landslides, cutting off rescuers and recovery workers. Local communities and international organizations are already mobilizing for emergency response, support, and relief. Challenges still abound, especially as the Taliban has severely limited the role of female healthcare workers.
Impact on Kunar Province
The majority of those who died were killed in Kunar province, home to isolated villages that are still mostly severed from relief operations. The rugged terrain makes ongoing rescue operations difficult, as emergency teams need to be able to access those who are trapped or in need.
Victorian Afghan Associations Network president Zabi Mazoori said it was going to take weeks or months to squarely establish where the survivors had gone. Beyond caring for injuries, he added that calculating the final death toll becomes complicated.
“The Afghan community in Australia is one that is close-knit and values the Australian multicultural system,” said Sayed Rahmatullah Hussainizada, project manager at Afghan Fajar Association. They understand this disaster has already befallen Afghanistan. Even for those of us who just have family there, it’s easy to relate to the pain.”
Healthcare System Struggles
Afghanistan’s healthcare system is already under extreme pressure, worsened by the earthquakes. Noorshah Kamwal has spent the past 15 years working with Afghanistan’s Ministry of Health. Just this past week, he posted a deeply disturbing account by one such healthcare worker who heroically rescued a five-year-old girl from the rubble after 12 hours. However, the tragedy does not end there.
Her entire family was murdered…How can one female survivor haul so many corpses. Kamwal pondered.
Mr Iqbal, an international aid consultant based in Melbourne, said the healthcare system was almost non-existent. Yet these challenges—a simultaneous shortage of essential medicines, cuts to mobile health teams, a growing emigration of doctors and midwives—are the norm. He stressed that “There is no machinery” out there to help you implement lifesaving, evidence-based interventions.
“In moments like these, it is hard to tell people to start mobilizing, as they are still in shock,” Mr. Iqbal stated.
Community Support and International Response
In response to the aforementioned crisis, Afghan Australians have come together to ensure that support is provided. Faisal and Khairul have since raised around $20,000 through donations gathered at Melbourne’s Omar Farooq Mosque. This funding is intended to support immediate disaster relief and recovery mission efforts at home.
Mr. Iqbal clarified the importance of the diaspora in getting information out. They’re organized a full spectrum of support for people stuck in, or returned to, Afghanistan. “That’s where the diaspora in Australia has stepped in to relay information to other Afghans here trying to get information about trapped loved ones and raise funds,” he noted.
Yet despite this major push, delivery of aid is still being sabotaged by the Taliban’s policies and logistical challenges on the ground. Women’s advocates worry these limitations on female healthcare workers will deepen a crisis that is already very severe.
“We use these resources against each other in war, but why can’t we use them to save lives? Today it is Afghanistan; tomorrow it could be Pakistan or Iran,” remarked Rokhan Akbar, emphasizing the urgent need for a unified international response.
