Global perspective Human stories

Afghanistan: UN studies long-term needs of earthquake-ravaged areas

Afghanistan: UN studies long-term needs of earthquake-ravaged areas

With most emergency goods already distributed in earthquake-ravaged parts of Afghanistan, the United Nations is turning its attention to longer-term needs there, a UN spokesman told the press in Kabul today.

Spokesman Manoel de Almeida e Silva reported that the UN had largely completed its delivery of food and supplies to the areas affected by the powerful earthquake which struck Nahrin last week. Over 15,000 families have received tents, blankets and food packages, and more relief aid was on its way, he said. In a bid to restore normalcy for the region’s young students, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has sent enough tents, supplies and latrines to the area for all 12 schools to re-open.

“The emergency phase is being taken care of,” said Mr. de Almeida e Silva. “Now we have to start looking at the longer-term reconstruction needs, bearing in mind it is a poor region, it is a region that has suffered from a lot of fighting, it is a region that has been the epicentre of the drought.”

The spokesman emphasized the importance of construction, agriculture and employment prospects in allowing Afghans to lead the rehabilitation effort. “We are looking into projects that bring cash into the region and will allow different activities to be initiated by the population,” he said.