DHA-GENEVA 94/0169
AFGHANISTAN - EARTHQUAKE
DHA - INFORMATION REPORT NO 1
13 MAY 1994
SITUATION
1. DHA OFFICE FOR THE COORDINATION OF HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE TO AFGHANISTAN (UNOCHA) INFORMED TODAY, FROM ISLAMABAD, THAT AN INTER-AGENCY TEAM VISITED THE AREA IN NORTHERN AFGHANISTAN WHICH WAS HIT BY AN EARTHQUAKE TWO WEEKS AGO.
2. THE SEISMIC EVENT STRUCK AT 16:31 LOCAL TIME OF MAY 1ST 1994 WITH A MAGNITUDE 6.3 MS, AFFECTING THE NORTH-WESTERN PROVINCES OF BALKH AND JOWZJAN, DISTRICT OF MAZAR-I-SHARIF, WITH A TOTAL POPULATION OF ABOUT 250,000. USGS REPORT INDICATED THE REGION OF TERMEZ (UZBEKISTAN) AS THE EPICENTRE, LATITUDE 37.0 DEGREES NORTH, LONGITUDE 67.0 DEGREES EAST, DEPTH SHALLOW, AT ABOUT 340 KM NORTHWEST OF KABUL.
3. MOST AFFECTED VILLAGES ARE IN A FLOOD PLAIN ON THE SOUTHERN BANK OF AMU DARYA RIVER, WHERE MANY OF THE INHABITANTS ARE RETURNEES FROM IRAN AND PAKISTAN.
ASSESSMENT, NEEDS AND RESPONSE
4. PRELIMINARY FIGURES INDICATE 160 DEATHS, 330 INJURED, WITH 20,000 HOUSES AND 260 PUBLIC BUILDINGS DAMAGED OR DESTROYED.
5. THE TEAM, COMPOSED BY WFP, UNICEF, AFGHAN RED CRESCENT, IFRC AND LOCAL ADMINISTRATION TRAVELLED FOR THREE DAYS IN THE AFFECTED REGION. THE TEAM REPORTED VERY LARGE NUMBER OF TRADITIONAL MUD HOUSES COLLAPSED, WITH VERY LITTLE EVIDENCE OF DAMAGE TO LIVESTOCK. THE TEAM IDENTIFIED THE NEED FOR 2,500 TENTS AND 4,000 ROLLS OF PLASTIC SHEETING, AS WELL AS SOME SUPPLEMENTARY FOOD (BP-5 HIGH PROTEIN BISCUITS), CLOTHING, COOKING POTS, WATER CARRIERS, BLANKETS AND COLLAPSIBLE WATER TANKS. THE MISSION ALSO RECOMMENDED THE IMMEDIATE ALLOCATION OF 525 MT OF FOOD ITEMS.
6. UN AGENCIES AND NGOS IN AFGHANISTAN REVIEWING THEIR STOCKS IN ORDER TO MEET MOST IMMEDIATE NEEDS. THIS, HOWEVER, WILL REQUIRE REPLENISHMENT TO CONTINUE ONGOING REGULAR PROGRAMMES.
7. DHA-GENEVA FOLLOWING SITUATION WITH UNDP AND UNOCHA OFFICES IN ISLAMABAD.
8. FOR COORDINATION PURPOSES, DONORS ARE REQUESTED TO INFORM DHA-GENEVA, AS INDICATED BELOW, OF BILATERAL RELIEF MISSIONS/PLEDGES/CONTRIBUTIONS AND THEIR CORRESPONDING VALUE BY ITEM.
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