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Afghanistan

Afghanistan: Flash Update – Badakhshan Earthquake #8 | 3 November 2015

Attachments

Situation:

Verified reports of 3 November indicate 107 people were killed, 451 people were injured, 9,703 houses were damaged and 5,612 houses were destroyed in the 15 Afghan provinces most severely affected by the 26 October Earthquake. The four provinces with the highest number of people in need are Badkhshan, Nangarhar, Baghlan and Kunar, which together account for almost 80% of the people in need. According to the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA), 271 families have been affected in Samangan province, including Taikhonak area in Aybak district which was not accessible to many humanitarian partners.

Assessments:

Joint assessment teams’ results suggest that nearly 83% of assessments (of approximately 1,500 villages to be assessed) have been completed. Of the remaining 251 villages still to be accessed, 195 villages have access challenges. Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS) takes the leadership in assessments of such hard-to-reach areas.

Response, Needs and Gaps

Field reports and assessment results indicate 107,000 people are in need of some form of assistance as of 3 November.

The Health Cluster reports no major emerging health needs as a result of the quake and no gaps in medical supplies. Mobility health kits that had been prepositioned to WHO offices are proving useful in the provision of medical aid during the disaster response. However, trauma and post-trauma care has been reported as a need in the eastern region. Thus far, no reports have been received of unaccompanied minors in the North Eastern Region.

The Government has requested WFP to provide food or cash for food to 1,000 families in Baghlan, 2,232 in Badakhshan, 168 in Takhar and 3,662 in the Eastern Region. WFP completed one-month food ration distribution to 1,214 affected families in five districts of Badakhshan and is expected to disburse up to AFN 6,000 in cash to these beneficiaries to cover an additional one-month supply of food. Food security cluster partners made further food distributions to 916 families and cash to 453 families in Kunar and Nangarhar Provinces as well as food distribution to 150 families in Badakhshan Province. IOM distributed NFI to 159 families in one district of Badakhshan and plans moving further NFIs to this province to cover the pending needs. Unverified reports of snow and rain related road blockages have started to come from some remote districts of Badakhshan Province.

In Baghlan Province, 269 families have received NFI and food assistance from ARCS. There are transitional shelter gaps for 730 families whose houses are destroyed. In three provinces of the Eastern Region, food, NFI and shelter assistance have been provided by seven partners. Partners are also delivering psychosocial support to quake-affected communities in this region. In Nangarhar Province, 290 families have received NFI, 305 families received food and 130 families shelter. In Laghman Province 342 families have received food and in Kunar Province 188 families have received NFI, 200 families food and 48 families food/cash.

In Takhar Province, the humanitarian response has reached 391 families with NFI, 420 families with food and 83 families with shelter assistance. There are plans to reach 401 additional families with NFI assistance, 371 families with food assistance and 64 families with shelter assistance. Notwithstanding the on-going and planned distribution, a shelter assistance gap remains for 72 families. Psychosocial counselors have provided support to children in Taloqan city, where 12 students were killed as they attempted to flee their school during the quake. The Protection Cluster has circulated telephone numbers that will enable humanitarian partners to access psychological support and mine clearance response.

In Khost Province, NFI assistance was provided to 63 families. In Parwan Province, food and NFI assistance commenced for 405 families and shelter for 120 families. In Panjsher Province, humanitarian partners have been mobilizing food and NFI assistance for 367 families and shelter for 167 families in need.

Although assistance has yet to be provided in Samangan Province, humanitarian partners are mobilizing food assistance for 271 families in accessible areas. An NFI assistance gap remains for these families.

IFRC allocated CHF465,684 to support the ARCS in delivering assistance to 2,000 families with some NFI, shelter and health activities.

Coordination:

A national-level inter-cluster coordination meeting of humanitarian partners was held on 2 November in Kabul. A regional humanitarian coordination meeting was held 3 November in Jalalabad. An emergency regional shelter and NFI cluster meeting is scheduled for 4 November in Mazar-e-Sharif. Many other meetings and platforms are organized at the provincial levels to ensure a coordinated response.

The implementing partners supporting the Government of Afghanistan earthquake response:

AfghanAid, AKF, ARC, ARCS, BARAK, BF, CARE, COAR, CW, DRC, FOCUS, GIZ, HHRD, IMC, IOM, IR, IRC, ME, NRC, PIN, SCI, UNICEF, WFP, WFP-IDSH

The countries that have donated or pledged support as of 3 November 2015:

Turkmenistan, Pakistan, China, India, Korea, Russia, Qatar, Iran, United Kingdom, USA, Kazakhstan, Japan

Disclaimer

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
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