#Afghan quake

[infantisimo]

may the long-suffering afghan people see better days 🤲🏽

[tieflingkisser]

Afghanistan earthquake aftermath: UNICEF says 96,000 children at risk

96,000 Afghan children are in desperate need of support after last year's devastating earthquakes. That is according to UNICEF. Which says the atmosphere in villages is "thick with suffering" as a bitter winter grips the country. At least 1,000 people were killed, most of them women and children, in the quake in October. Al Jazeera’s Charles Stratford reports.

[professorpski]

I Diss Granny Squares, Unless in Afghans

This magazine from 1983, Great American Granny Squares, offers lots of projects. It has a few vintage patterns--doilies, bedspreads-- from heavy thread which are extraordinarily complex, but most of the patterns are worsted weight yarn made into squares like the one featured here: Old Fashioned Granny Vest.

The name is unintentionally ironic because old-fashioned crochet was never this simplistic in garment design or color mix. I am not sure even a master colorist like Kaffee Fassett could save what is essentially a set of squares slapped onto the human body as if any part of our bodies were squares. The children's versions are even worse as they use the same size yarn and the front of a vest or sweater becomes one giant square. The drawbacks of granny squares were also their selling point here: so simple to make! Well, yes, but why bother to put any effort however small into something this goofy looking? Ok, maybe a potholder for the first project, but after that, let's aim higher.

The afghan on the cover is not much better than the women's vest, but others included in the magazine are undeniably handsome, especially a monochromatic single square afghan in a range of oranges.

As this example shows, the descent of garment design into greater simplicity during the 1960s and the Youth Quake happened in needlework as well as in dressmaking. Making designs simpler was a tradition in children's clothing; making grown-women's garments equally simple was a new trend brought on the desire to look youthful no matter what. As a result, a lot of sophisticated garment design and needlework got forgotten for a while which is why pre-1960s books and magazines are so valuable. They remind us of great possibilities.

[blogynews]

"Unpredictable Tremors Rock Afghan Region Stricken by Tragedy - Causes Intrigue with 6.3 Magnitude Quake!"

A powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck western Afghanistan on Sunday, rattling an area that had already been devastated by tremors the previous week, resulting in over 1,000 fatalities. The United States Geological Survey reported that the quake occurred just after 8:00 am and its epicenter was located 33 kilometers northwest of Herat city, the capital of the western province of the same…

[blogynewz]

"Unpredictable Tremors Rock Afghan Region Stricken by Tragedy - Causes Intrigue with 6.3 Magnitude Quake!"

A powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck western Afghanistan on Sunday, rattling an area that had already been devastated by tremors the previous week, resulting in over 1,000 fatalities. The United States Geological Survey reported that the quake occurred just after 8:00 am and its epicenter was located 33 kilometers northwest of Herat city, the capital of the western province of the same…

[blogynewsz]

"Unpredictable Tremors Rock Afghan Region Stricken by Tragedy - Causes Intrigue with 6.3 Magnitude Quake!"

A powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck western Afghanistan on Sunday, rattling an area that had already been devastated by tremors the previous week, resulting in over 1,000 fatalities. The United States Geological Survey reported that the quake occurred just after 8:00 am and its epicenter was located 33 kilometers northwest of Herat city, the capital of the western province of the same…

[andrewtheprophet]

‘The Wrath of God’: Matthew 24

The burial of Roqia, 12, in Zinda Jan District, Afghanistan. She was injured in the earthquake and died on Tuesday in a hospital. ‘The Wrath of God’: Afghans Mourn Unimaginable Loss From Quake The deadliest earthquake to strike the country in decades leveled entire hamlets. Many people lost most, if not all, of their immediate family. Published Oct. 10, 2023Updated Oct. 11, 2023, 2:40 a.m.…

[warningsine]

CHAHAK, Afghanistan (AP) — Another strong earthquake shook western Afghanistan on Wednesday morning after an earlier one killed more than 2,000 people and flattened whole villages in Herat province in what was one of the most destructive quakes in the country’s recent history.

The magnitude 6.3 earthquake on Wednesday was about 28 kilometers (17 miles) outside Herat, the provincial capital, and 10 kilometers (6 miles) deep, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It triggered a landslide that blocked the main Herat-Torghondi highway, Information Ministry spokesman Abdul Wahid Rayan said.

Janan Sayiq, a spokesman for the Afghan Taliban government’s national disaster authority said Wednesday’s earthquake killed at least one person and injured around 120 others.

The aid group Doctors Without Borders said Herat Regional Hospital received 117 who got injured in Wednesday’s temblor. The group, also known by its French acronym MSF, said it sent additional medical supplies to the hospital and was setting up four more medical tents at the facility.

“Our teams are assisting in triaging emergency cases and managing stabilized patients admitted in the medical tents,” MSF said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Wednesday’s quake also flattened all 700 homes in Chahak village, which was untouched by the tremors of previous days. Now there are mounds of soil where dwellings used to be. But no deaths have been reported so far in Chahak because people have taken shelter in tents this week, fearing for their lives as tremors continue to rock Herat.

Villagers are distraught over the loss of their homes and livestock, often their only possessions, and worry about the coming harsh winter months. Some said they had never seen an earthquake before and wondered when the shaking of the ground would stop.

Many said they have no peace of mind inside the tents for fear the “ground will open and swallow us at any moment.”

The epicenter of Saturday’s quake — also of the same magnitude 6.3 — was about 40 kilometers (25 miles) northwest of the provincial capital, and several aftershocks have been strong.

Taliban officials said more than 2,000 had died across Herat after the earlier quakes. They subsequently said the quakes killed and injured thousands but didn’t give a breakdown of casualties.

Besides rubble and funerals after Saturday’s devastation, there is little left of the villages in the region’s dusty hills. Survivors are struggling to come to terms with the loss of multiple family members and in many places, living residents are outnumbered by volunteers who had come to search the debris and dig mass graves.

In Naib Rafi, a village that previously had about 2,500 residents, people said almost no one was still alive besides men who were working outside when the quake struck. Survivors worked all day with excavators to dig long trenches for mass burials.

On a barren field in the district of Zinda Jan, a bulldozer removed mounds of earth to clear space for a long row of graves.

“It is very difficult to find a family member from a destroyed house and a few minutes to later bury him or her in a nearby grave, again under the ground,” said Mir Agha, from the city of Herat, who had joined hundreds of volunteers to help the locals.

Nearly 2,000 houses in 20 villages were destroyed, the Taliban have said. The area hit by the quakes has just one government-run hospital.

On Tuesday, U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said Zinda Jan was the worst-affected area, with more than 1,300 people killed and nearly 500 people still reported missing.

He said U.N. satellite imagery also indicated extreme levels of destruction in the district of Injil.

“Our humanitarian colleagues warn that children are particularly vulnerable and have suffered severe psychological distress from the earthquake,” he said.

Earthquakes are common in Afghanistan, where there are a number of fault lines and frequent movement among three nearby tectonic plates. Afghans are still reeling from recent quakes, including the magnitude 6.5 earthquake in March that struck much of western Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan, and an earthquake that hit eastern Afghanistan in June 2022, flattening stone and mud-brick homes and killing at least 1,000 people.

Zabihullah Mujahid, the main spokesman for the Taliban government, listed the countries that have so far aided the people affected by the quake in Herat, in a statement posted on X.

He said Iran sent 15 vehicles loaded with aid alongside support and technical teams, while Turkey sent medical teams food, non-food items and medicine. The United Arab Emirates and Turkmenistan also helped with food, medicine, and clothes.

He added a technical team of 49 members from Kazakhstan is assisting those affected by the quake.

In his post, Mujahid said Saudi Arabia provided financial assistance to the people of Herat while China donated $200,000 in cash aid through the Afghan Foreign Affairs ministry.

Neighboring Pakistan is among the countries that have offered assistance but the delivery of its humanitarian aid has been on hold since Monday.

On Wednesday morning, the pledged supplies had yet to leave Pakistan. Authorities were waiting for “clearance” from the Taliban, two government officials in Islamabad said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Ties between the two countries have come under pressure since Pakistan announced a deadline for undocumented migrants, including 1.7 million Afghans living illegally in the country, to leave before Oct. 31 to avoid arrests and forced deportation.

[eurovisionsocialnewswire]

AFGHANISTAN: Aid workers rush to help Afghans after series of powerful earthquakes

Aid workers are rushing to help Afghans whose homes and entire villages have been flattened after a series of earthquakes hit the western Herat province in the last week. The latest 6.3-magnitude earthquake hit western Afghanistan on Wednesday, October 11, just a few days after two powerful quakes killed thousands of people. It struck shortly after 5 a.m. local time on Wednesday just north of the…

[businesspr]

‘The Wrath of God’: Afghans Mourn Unimaginable Loss From Quake

The deadliest earthquake to strike the country in decades leveled entire hamlets. Many people lost most, if not all, of their immediate family. source https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/10/world/asia/afghanistan-earthquake-herat.html

[antonio-velardo]

Antonio Velardo shares: ‘The Wrath of God’: Afghans Mourn Unimaginable Loss From Quake by Christina Goldbaum, Yaqoob Akbary and Victor J. Blue

By Christina Goldbaum, Yaqoob Akbary and Victor J. Blue The deadliest earthquake to strike the country in decades leveled entire hamlets. Many people lost most, if not all, of their immediate family. Published: October 10, 2023 at 10:28PM from NYT World https://ift.tt/5KArukw via IFTTT

[thxnews]

Devastating Afghanistan Earthquake: UN Launches Relief

  Tragedy Strikes Western Afghanistan

Massive Earthquake Ravages Villages, UN Agencies Coordinate Response The death toll from a catastrophic earthquake that shook western Afghanistan surged to over 1,000 overnight, sending shockwaves through affected villages. UN agencies, working in tandem, announced the grim news on Sunday, as rescue operations raced against the clock.   UN's Swift Response Coordination with Afghan Authorities and Relief Operations Underway UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric underscored the United Nations' commitment, stating, “The United Nations and our partners in Afghanistan are coordinating with the de facto authorities to swiftly assess needs and provide emergency assistance.” In this critical moment, UN agencies, partners, and local authorities sprang into action. Initial assessments painted a dire picture, with the 6.3 magnitude quake, striking 40 kilometers west of Herat on Saturday, claiming lives across eight villages, as reported by the UN Humanitarian Office (OCHA).  

The Rising Toll

Over 1,000 Lives Lost, Thousands Injured and Missing As the sun set on Sunday evening, the agency delivered an updated, heartbreaking count—1,023 people reported killed, and another 1,663 injured across 11 villages in the Zindajan district of Herat province. The quake left a trail of devastation, with estimates suggesting that 100 percent of homes in the area have been utterly destroyed. Additionally, 516 people, comprising 203 men and 213 women, remained unaccounted for, adding to the anguish, OCHA reported.   Immediate Relief Efforts UN Mobilizes Emergency Funds and Aid Operations To bolster the ongoing response, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator swiftly approved a $5 million emergency reserve allocation from the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund. OCHA is set to launch and process these funds within 24 hours, enabling eligible partners to access grants effectively starting from October 9. Humanitarian partners are also in the process of formulating an emergency appeal, further underlining the urgency of the situation.  

UNICEF's Rapid Deployment

Hygiene Kits, Winter Clothes, and More Rushed to the Scene On the ground, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) swiftly deployed additional teams to reinforce ongoing humanitarian efforts. Their response included the dispatch of 10,000 hygiene kits, 5,000 family kits, 1,500 sets of winter clothes, blankets, 1,000 tarpaulins, and basic household items. These provisions complement the support provided by other UN agencies and partners. Fran Equiza, the UNICEF Representative in Afghanistan, pledged, “Together with our partners, we will make every effort to bring quick relief to those affected.”   Care for the Afghanistan Earthquake Injured Health Facilities and Emergency Drugs Injured survivors are receiving vital care in nearby health facilities, with essential emergency drugs supplied by UNICEF and partners. The agency also provided emergency tents to ease the burden on overwhelmed health clinics.  

Multifaceted International Response

IOM, WFP, UNHCR, WHO Join Relief Efforts Collaborating with local authorities, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the World Food Programme (WFP), and partners dispatched emergency assessment teams as part of the initial response. The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, and the World Health Organization (WHO) continued their efforts to provide assistance.  

UN Urges Global Solidarity

Secretary-General Calls for Support Amidst Crisis UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed solidarity with the people of Afghanistan, extending heartfelt condolences to the victims' families and wishing a swift recovery for the injured. The UN Spokesperson conveyed Guterres's call to action, stating, "As winter approaches, the UN Secretary-General calls on the international community to come together and support people impacted by the earthquake, many of whom were already in need before this crisis." In this moment of adversity, the world must unite to aid those in dire need.   Sources: THX News & United Nations. Read the full article

[sam-672]

Deadliest Afghan quakes in 2 decades kill 2,445, injure 2,000

ISLAMABAD: Powerful earthquakes killed over 2,400 people in western Afghanistan, the Taliban administration said Sunday. It’s one of the deadliest earthquakes to strike the country in two decades. Afghanistan earthquakes kill over 2000, Taliban says, as death toll spikes Saturday’s magnitude 6.3 earthquake hit a densely populated area, near Afghanistan’s fourth largest city, Herat. The US…

[blogynews]

Unveiling the Unthinkable: Afghan Quakes Devastate Communities, Leaving Villages Vanished and Lives Lost

The death toll from two major earthquakes that struck northwestern Afghanistan has risen to at least 813 people, according to local authorities. This makes the dual shocks one of the deadliest natural disasters to hit the country in decades. The earthquakes, both measuring 6.3 in magnitude, occurred in Herat Province along the border with Iran on Saturday. The tremors caused mud-brick homes in…

[blogynewz]

Unveiling the Unthinkable: Afghan Quakes Devastate Communities, Leaving Villages Vanished and Lives Lost

The death toll from two major earthquakes that struck northwestern Afghanistan has risen to at least 813 people, according to local authorities. This makes the dual shocks one of the deadliest natural disasters to hit the country in decades. The earthquakes, both measuring 6.3 in magnitude, occurred in Herat Province along the border with Iran on Saturday. The tremors caused mud-brick homes in…