OCHA Situation Report No. 3
Afghanistan - Earthquake
17 April 2002


This report has been compiled on the basis of information provided by the
United Nations Assistance Mission to Afghanistan (UNAMA).

Background

1.  An earthquake measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale occurred on Friday 12
April approximately 150 kilometers north of Kabul in Nahrin district,
Baghlan province. This most recent earthquake was centered in the same
area as the powerful earthquake that struck on 25 March, which killed up
to 1,200 people and left another tens of thousands homeless.


Current Situation

2.  The total number of casualties stands at 50 people and the number of
injured is estimated at 150.

3.  In Jelgah valley (east of Nahrin) with a total population of 4,704
families the situation is particularly complicated.  Due to the road block
caused by the earthquake, assessments could not begin until 14 April.  To
address the needs of the affected population, relief items were scheduled
to be distributed and further assessments planned on 16 April. However,
due to two serious tremors during the nights of 16 and 17 April, and
continued heavy rains, the road access to Jelgah was again completely
blocked. Today, the assistance community and government representatives
mobilized a large number of community members to work on the road blockage
to remove the rocks and clear the flood water by digging a channel. It is
expected that this will allow transport of relief supplies to the villages
across the valley.

4.  Also, an air assessment was carried out today over 14 villages of the
Jelgah valley. The team's assessment is that there is no visible physical
evidence of destruction in this area other than the village of Mohammad
Dad to which assistance will be sent on 18 April. In Mohammad Dad, 160
houses have completely collapsed, 154 are partially damaged and the
remaining 98 contain serious cracks.

5.  In general, the humanitarian organizations feel that the emergency
phase of the operation is over. Food needs have been met through the
regular WFP/ACTED relief distribution programme covering 80 % of the
population in the area. Also, immediate shelter and other non-food items
have been covered in all areas, except Jelgah (see above)


National and International Response

6.  The Deputy Governor of Baghlan, Head of the Relief Commission of the
Afghanistan Interim Authority (AIA) in Nahrin informed UNAMA on 16 April
that the Governor of Herat has donated 28 trucks of relief supplies
including rice, cooking oil and clothes, which are expected to arrive on
17 or 18 April.

7.  On 16 April, the Iranian Red Crescent arrived in the affected area
with 10 doctors. This should greatly assist in improving the quality and
coverage of emergency medical assistance currently available in Nahrin for
the quake-affected cases. The general state and quality of emergency
medical assistance provided is rather poor, with the Swedish Committee for
Afghanistan (SCA) facing serious challenges as its clinic in Nahrin is not
very well equipped and needs support to meet emergency needs. There is an
even more acute need for mobile medical teams for areas that are at some
distance from Nahrin and from which reports of people dying of injuries
are still coming in. To that effect, HuMedica International, which arrived
towards the end of the previous relief operation and had stayed on to
establish a clinic in Old Nahrin, will be sending its team to Shindera.
Given the situation in Jelgah, medical teams need also be mobilized to
that area, which is being discussed among the health/medical organizations
under the coordination of WHO.

8.  Currently, the following organizations are present on the ground:
ACTED, FOCUS, SCA, CONCERN, Omar International, HuMedica International,
Iranian Red Crescent and UNAMA. From the AIA side, the Deputy Governor of
Baghlan province, Governor of Nahrin District and several other local
authorities and Defense Ministry commanders are present at the disaster
site.


Miscellaneous Information

9.  Omar International is conducting a mine awareness campaign for the
local communities in the earthquake affected areas.

10.  OCHA is in close contact with United Nations Offices in Afghanistan
and will revert with further information, as it becomes available.

11.  OCHA is prepared to serve as a channel for cash contributions to be
used for immediate relief assistance, in coordination with relevant
organizations in the United Nations system. For banking details please
contact the desk officers indicated below. OCHA provides donor governments
with written confirmation and pertinent details concerning the utilization
of the funds contributed.

12.  This situation report, together with further information on ongoing
emergencies, is also available on the OCHA Internet Website at
http://www.reliefweb.int. Maps and other information relating to the most
recent earthquakes can be found on the Website of the Afghanistan
Information Management Service (AIMS) at http://www.hic.org.pk. The
Virtual OSOCC at http://www7.itu.int/virtualosocc/ also provides
information on the earthquake and can be used for information sharing
purposes.


Telephone: +41-22-91712 34
Fax: +41-22-917 00 23
E-mail: ochagva@un.org

In case of emergency only: Tel. +41-22-917 20 10

Desk Officers:
  Mr.  Christian Skoog, Mr. Anvar Munavvarov
  Direct Tel. +41-22-917 1878/1669

Press contact:
  (GVA)  Ms. Elizabeth Byrs, direct Tel. +41-22-917 26 56
  (NYC)  Mr. Oliver Ulich direct Tel. +1-212-963-8263


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