Afghanistan No 1/98
Geneva, February 9, 1998
An earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale hit the Northern Afghanistan
district of Rustaq in the afternoon of February 4. An afterwawe which hit
on Sunday added to the already considerable destruction in the area. Unconfirmed
reports put the death toll anywhere between 2,000 and 5,000 people. Approximately
25 villages were hit out of which about 5 are said to be completely destroyed.
The Rustaq district in Takhar province is a remote area just 50 km from the boarder with Tajikistan. The nearest airport is at the town of Taluqan, 50 km southwest of Rustaq but the roads in the area are reported to be extremely bad and often affected by landslides and avalanches during winter with sub zero temperatures. This part is controlled by the Northern Alliance which is in opposition to the Taliban militia ruling most of Afghanistan.
ACT does not have staff present in the affected area or in any nearby location. ACT-NCA though is monitoring the situation from their office in Pershawar, Pakistan and from Kabul where stocks of BP5 emergency biscuits could be made available if needed and if logistics and security allow for transport and distribution.
A first assessment mission of the International Federation of Red Cross & Red Crescent Societies reached Taluqan Sunday, but a larger plane with relief goods was not able to land due to poor weather. Other humanitarian actors are also trying to access the area and ACT-NCA in Pershawar are awaiting the initial findings of these missions before it can advise the ACT Network on possible actions.
Depending on the findings of the assessment missions this alert may or may not be followed by an appeal for the victims of the earthquake in the Rustaq District of Afghanistan.
For further information please contact:
ACT Communications Officer Nils Carstensen (mobile phone ++ 41 79 358
3171)
or
ACT Appeals Officer, Neville Pradhan (phone +41 22 791 6035).
Return to the ACT home page.