Death toll from eastern Afghanistan earthquake rises to 1,200, including more than 150 children

The balance of deaths due to the earthquake registered last week in eastern Afghanistan has risen to 1,200, according to the authorities, a figure that includes more than 150 children, as indicated by the United Nations.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has stated that at least 155 children have died and around 250 have been injured in the earthquake, with 86 percent of the fatalities in Giyan district, in Pakistan province.

The agency has also indicated that about 1,900 homes were destroyed in the districts of Giyan, Barmal -in Paktika- and Spera, in Jost, while "many more" would have suffered extensive material damage and "are at risk of collapse". .

Likewise, a total of seven schools have suffered material damage, while nearly a thousand tents have been delivered to the affected areas to deal with the lack of shelter for the victims.

"Multiple logistical challenges remain, including limited communication channels as a result of downed mobile phone networks in Paktika and Jost and poor road conditions in Spera district," he said.

For his part, the UN Assistant Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, Martin Griffiths, announced on Saturday the delivery of ten million dollars (around 9.5 million euros) from the Central Fund for Action in Cases of Emergency (CERF ) "to help with the immediate response to the earthquake".

"Hundreds dead. Many more injured. Homes destroyed. Children buried by rubble. The earthquake in Afghanistan is the latest tragedy to befall the country," Griffiths lamented in a brief message posted on his Twitter account.

Fazel Jan, a seven-year-old boy living in Giyan district, told the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) that his parents and one of his grandparents died in the earthquake.

"My name is Fazel Jan, I am seven years old. When the earthquake started we got up and started screaming. The whole family ran away from home and got into the car," he said. "My mother and father died. My grandfather also died. I am very sad," he added.

Along these lines, Qudratulá, an eight-year-old boy also resident in Giyan, has stated that "he was sleeping" at the time of the tremor. "The roof collapsed and I was under it. The only thing he said was 'please get me out of here'. My father rescued me. My back was injured. He continues to hurt me," he said.

For his part, Mohamad Gul, also a resident of Giyan, has detailed that "some" of his classmates have died. "I am very heartbroken. I miss you all very much. Not even your houses exist anymore," he said.

"Many people have died, including three of my classmates. So far I have heard that 300 have died and hundreds are injured," he said. "After the earthquake, we went up to the hills. It was raining and we had no tents, only umbrellas, to protect us from the rain. I am still very scared and I think there will be another earthquake," he concluded.

In this regard, the 'number two' of the Afghanistan Red Crescent, Mullah Nuruddin Torabi, has asked national and international organizations to distribute aid through this organization and has added that 55 teams have been sent to Paktika and Jost to address the situation, as reported by the Afghan news agency Bakhtar News Agency.

The earthquake had its epicenter about 44 kilometers from the city of Jost, while its epicenter has been at a depth of about 51 kilometers, later revised to about ten kilometers, according to data published on its website by the United States Geological Survey. States (USGS).