Germany promises aid to Afghanistan’s hardest hit areas following deadly earthquake

Earthquake aftermath
Earthquake aftermath Copyright AP Photo
Copyright AP Photo
By Euronews
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Aid is beginning to trickle into the war-torn country, as poor road conditions hamper rescuers trying to reach survivors of Wednesday's deadly quake.

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Rescuers in Afghanistan are struggling to reach the survivors of Wednesday's powerful earthquake, as poor road conditions hamper their efforts.

Villagers in the eastern Paktika province are burying loved ones after the magnitude six quake hit, killing at least 1,000 people.

They have also been digging by hand through the rubble in search of survivors.

Neighbouring Pakistan has also started transporting truckloads of medicine and other supplies.

It's a disaster the UN Security Council cannot ignore

“Search and rescue operations remain ongoing and it is expected that the number of casualties will further increase over the coming days, along with the number of the affected communities,” says Ramiz Alakbarov, Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Afghanistan.

Germany has promised medical aid to the people of Afghanistan, the foreign minister stressed that at times like this the only thing that counts is humanity

"We are planning to increase the funding for them further. And we will provide more aid in the coming days. Not through the Taliban, but with our partners and aid agencies like UNICEF and WHO, who can reach people directly on the ground," said Annalena Baerbock. 

"Even though other crises have greater media attention, we have not forgotten the people in Afghanistan and we know about our special responsibility." 

The country's official news agency says an estimated 1,500 people were injured in the magnitude 6 earthquake.

However, millions of people in Afghanistan are already on the brink of starvation, while the economy and the health system have both crumbled since the Taliban retook power last August.

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