Afghanistan faces Quake-induced health disaster

KABUL (TOLONews): Doctors working in medical camps in eastern Afghanistan’s earthquake-affected areas have expressed concern over shortages of medicine and medical facilities.

They say that the lack of proper equipment and essential medicines has created serious challenges for treatment efforts.

They also warn that local residents are in urgent need not only of medicine but also of shelter, food, and clean drinking water.

Shamsher Khan, one of the doctors on the ground, said with concern: “These medicines are neither sufficient, nor these services. These people need more medicine, tents, food, and clean drinking water. They are in a lot of pain and have suffered greatly. As a doctor, seeing this situation has deeply worried me; even my own mental state has worsened, despite being a doctor.”

Adil Hairan, another doctor present at the site, shared his account: “On the first day, we went to the village of Diwa Gol. There were many injured, but resources were very limited. In the initial count, between 98 to 102 bodies were identified. Later, some of the wounded were taken to the city for treatment, and a helicopter came and transferred all of them to Jalalabad.”

Meanwhile, the Nangarhar Regional Hospital has turned into a major treatment center for hundreds of injured people.

Survivors have also shared their pain and suffering. Ebadullah, one of the victims, said: “I lost five members of my family, my parents, two of my children, and my niece. Ten other relatives, including my children, wife, and other family members, were injured. Nothing has been left for us.”

Mahmood Khan, another severely injured survivor, said: “My leg is broken, two of my children are injured, and another child is slightly hurt. By the grace of God, my wife and two other children survived unharmed. But we lost all our belongings, everything is gone.”

These accounts are only part of the shared pain of thousands of families who lost loved ones in the recent Kunar earthquake. Despite ongoing search and rescue operations, the need for urgent and sustained humanitarian assistance is greater than ever.