Need USD 23 mn to provide assistance to earthquake victims in Afghanistan's Herat: WFP

KABUL: The World Food Programme has said that it will need USD 23 million in the next seven months to provide assistance to the people affected by the earthquake in Afghanistan's Herat, Afghanistan-based Khaama Press reported.

On Monday, World Food Programme Director Hsiao-Wei Lee appealed for aid for the earthquake-affected residents of Herat. He posted a heartfelt message on X and called for assistance for those affected by the earthquake.

He stated that thousands of families affected by the earthquake in Herat are in urgent need of assistance. He stressed that the requested amount will be used for providing food aid and rebuilding homes for 120,000 people, according to Khaama Press report.

Earlier, the World Food Programme had warned that the earthquake-victims">earthquake victims in Herat need additional assistance and their organization's budget was running low.

Furthermore, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) had requested over USD 93 million to help the people affected by the earthquake in Herat. According to their office, only 26 per cent of the requested funds for providing assistance to Herat's earthquake-victims">earthquake victims have been secured.

Meanwhile, the earthquake survivors in Afghanistan's Herat are devoid of access to basic life necessities and are living under unsanitary conditions, Khaama Press reported, citing a World Health Organisation (WHO) report.

WHO highlighted that earthquake survivors in Herat face a number of health risks, including those related to infectious and waterborne diseases, mental health disorders, social and psychological difficulties, and the possibility of physical and sexual violence, in a report that was released on Saturday.

The report also emphasised how urgently the people of Herat devastated by the earthquake require humanitarian aid and help to solve these serious health and well-being issues. More than 2,000 people have died, many have been injured, and significant damage has been caused by the terrible earthquakes that struck Herat, Khaama Press reported.

The World Health Organisation estimated that USD 7.9 million will be needed to provide earthquake survivors with emergency medical care for the next six months. These survivors are currently without access to the basic essentials of life, living in unsuitable conditions in open areas.

A growing number of people are becoming concerned about these people's physical and emotional well-being as winter draws near. In order to meet their urgent requirements, humanitarian aid and support are desperately needed.

Worldwide organisations and regional and international charities are continuing to distribute relief to all the earthquake-affected villages in Afghanistan. Food, tents, blankets, clothes, and hygiene supplies are all part of the support, according to TOLO news.