KUNAR (TOLONews): In the earthquake-affected areas of Kunar province, 157,074 students have been deprived of education.
The head of the provincial education department told TOLOnews that as a result of the earthquake, 391 students lost their lives and 760 others were injured.
Mohibullah Haidari, Kunar’s education director, said: “Across Kunar, 157,074 students are currently deprived of education. In the earthquake, 391 students and three teachers were killed, while 760 students and 20 teachers were injured.”
In Kunar, as in other warm provinces, the academic year begins on September 6 (15th of Sunbula), but thousands of students in quake-hit areas have been unable to resume classes.
They are calling on authorities and aid organizations to ensure that they can continue their studies.
Hekmatyar, a student, said: “The earthquake completely destroyed our school. I am very sad because there is no school here where we can study. In our own village, the school was also destroyed, and we were forced to come to this camp.”
Salma, a student, said: “Our school has been destroyed, and I am deeply saddened by this. My request is that our school be rebuilt so I can study and become a doctor in the future.”
Shamsurrahman, a 40-year-old man from the Shaheedan area of Suki district in Kunar, is one of the survivors of last week’s deadly earthquake. He lost one of his sons in the disaster.
Now living in a temporary camp, he said their local school was destroyed in the quake, leaving his children without access to education.
Shamsurrahman said: “Three of my children were students. One was killed and two others were injured. The earthquake completely destroyed our school, and nothing remains of it. My children now live with me in this tent and are sad because they can no longer go to school, and no one is helping them.”
Kunar’s education department added that the earthquake completely destroyed 53 schools and partially damaged 253 others.
