U N I T E D  N A T I O N S
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Integrated Regional Information Network
01 April 2002


AFGHANISTAN: Tremors continuing as aid flows in

ISLAMABAD, 1 April (IRIN) - Despite continuing tremors in the earthquake
area of Nahrin in the northern Afghan province of Baghlan, further damage
has been minimal, a UN official in the Afghan capital, Kabul told IRIN on
Monday. "There were tremors over the weekend and the last one was on
Saturday," spokeswoman for the UN Office of the Coordinator for
Afghanistan, Stephanie Bunker said.

Meanwhile, efforts to provide up to 23,000 families affected by the quake
with food aid were going well, a WFP official told IRIN on Monday. "Within
four days we have reached 60,000 people following the immediate deployment
of resources," WFP spokesman in Nahrin, Aljandro Lopez Chicheri said.

The death toll, following the quake on 25 March which hit 6.1 on the
Richter scale, is estimated at 800, according to the UN. However, other
reports suggest a much higher number running into the hundreds.

In collaboration with its distributing partner, ACTED, a French NGO, some
13,000 families out of 23,000 have received WFP supplies. A distribution
of 78 kg of food, comprised of wheat, pulses, oil and fortified wheat, was
being distributed to each family in Nahrin, he added. "We are targeting
the most vulnerable. Those who have lost their homes," he explained. He
stressed that some families did have coping mechanisms which were boosted
by their distributions. WFP has also sent six food monitors to ensure that
distribution is carried out fairly.

ACTED distributed food to some 10,000 families in the area four weeks
earlier, which would have covered their needs for three months. However,
many of these families have lost their homes and food, now buried under
rubble. "We need to make sure we reach all of the population," he
stressed, saying that it was a difficult situation because of the scale of
the crisis. Commenting on the response of the international aid community
to the disaster, Chicheri remarked that aid agencies and local authorities
had responded quickly to the situation.

Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) was one of the first NGOs on the scene
following the heavy tremors. A team of 14 Afghan and seven international
staff in Nahrin established eight emergency medical tents to treat the
injured during the first two days of the operation. Some 50 patients were
referred to the local hospital in the provincial capital of Pul-I-Khumri.
The International Committee for the Red Cross, Swedish Committee for
Afghanistan, and WHO have also bolstered health facilities the area.

Since the earthquake hit, MSF alone has treated some 800 Afghans. "The
most common injuries were burns and fractures," head of mission for
northern Afghanistan, Malik Allouna told IRIN. He added that their work
was now being downscaled and that it was important for Afghans to have
proper access to healthcare during the recovery period. "Once the aid
agencies have left the scene we hope these people will have access to
healthcare so they can change dressings on wounds and prevent further
infection," he added.


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Copyright (c) UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 2002


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