Afghanistan: ACT members respond to earthquake

Initial reports indicated that 2000 people had been killed by the earthquake. According to information from government sources in Kabul the quakes hit with a force of 6.0 respectively 5.0 on the Richter Scale injuring 4,000 people and leaving about 20,000 homeless. The initial quakes flattened the market town of Nahrin and surrounding villages in Baghlan province.

Fears have been expressed that the death toll may rise sharply after new aftershocks on Wednesday morning (March 27). Afghan Defence Ministry spokesman Gulbuddin told Reuters news agency, "casualties have mounted dramatically after new aftershocks early this morning".

ACT member Church World Service (CWS) Pakistan/Afghanistan is transporting 7,000 quilts from Quetta in Pakistan, close to the border to Afghanistan, to the affected area. There they will, with the help of staff from CWS partner Shuhada, distribute the quilts to those displaced by the earthquake. The quilts are made by Afghan women as part of a CWS-sponsored quilt-making income generation project. The quilts are expected to be distributed by the end of the week.

"This disaster adds yet another layer of need to the already critical needs that continue to multiply in Afghanistan," said Marvin Parvez, director of the CWS Pakistan/Afghanistan programme.

ACT member Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) reports that one of their local Afghan partners, CoAR, has sent a medical team from Mazar-e-Sharif to the earthquake area. Three more more partners - ADA, AREA, NPO/RRAA - are now coordinating their response and resources with NCA/ACT.

NCA/ACT is preparing to send equipment already pre-positioned, such as tents, quilts, BP-5 emergency rations and emergency water equipment. "Transportation is problematic", says Geir Valle, NCA director for the Pakistan/Afghanistan programme. But he points out that NCA ist closely cooperation with the UN on that issue.