Authorities in Afghanistan are scrambling to rescue people trapped in a devastating earthquake. In this case, Turkey wants to cooperate by sending a rescue team. Meanwhile, China wants to send emergency humanitarian aid to the neighboring country in such a disaster. Khabar Al Jazeera.
War-torn Afghanistan has been hit by the worst earthquake in 20 years. A magnitude 5.9 earthquake on Wednesday (June 22nd) caused severe damage in the southeastern provinces of Paktika and Khost. Hundreds of homes were destroyed. More than 1,000 people have already died. At least one and a half thousand more were injured.
The rescue operation is expected to be a major test for the ruling Taliban in the aftermath of the quake. The former rebel group seized power in Afghanistan in August last year. The Taliban government is facing an extreme economic crisis as reserves at the World Bank and the United States are blocked and regular foreign aid is cut off.
In such a situation, the Taliban authorities have sought the cooperation of the international community in dealing with the aftermath of the earthquake. Anas Haqqani, a top government official, said the government was working to the best of its ability. At the same time, we hope that the international community and relief agencies will come forward with a helping hand in times of crisis for our people.
The United Nations and the European Union (EU) have already offered to cooperate. The United Nations says it does not have the capacity to conduct rescue operations in Afghanistan. However, Turkey is ready to cooperate in this regard. The country is awaiting permission from the Afghan government.
“We have already discussed the matter with the Turkish embassy,” said Ramiz Alakbarov, the UN ambassador to Afghanistan. They are waiting for official permission.
while neighboring China has sought to send humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. At a regular news conference on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Webin expressed his condolences over the quake in Afghanistan.
Webbin said Afghanistan is a neighbor of China and Beijing is ready to provide emergency humanitarian assistance as needed by Afghanistan. A Chinese spokesman confirmed that no Chinese nationals had been killed or injured in the quake.
The deadliest earthquake in Afghanistan since 2002 struck early Wednesday morning. The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake’s epicenter was about 44 kilometers south-east of Khost, bordering Pakistan. Buildings have collapsed in various places. The Afghan government has stepped in to help rescue those trapped in the rubble. There is mourning all over the country in this incident.
