Today, Friday, the pioneers of humanitarian aid arrived in the areas hit by the earthquake in eastern Afghanistan, which killed more than a thousand people, injured hundreds, and left an urgent need for medical supplies, food and medicine.

And the state of Paktika announced - in a statement - the end of search and rescue work, and the start of removing the rubble.

According to the latest official figures, 1,150 people were killed and more than 1,600 were injured in the 6.1-magnitude earthquake that struck the eastern regions of Afghanistan on Wednesday.

According to Afghan government officials, more than 2,500 homes were completely destroyed and hundreds of homes were partially damaged in Paktika province on the border with Pakistan.

Hurdles

Given the difficulty of reaching the stricken villages and towns by land, international aid is sent to the capital, Kabul, and the surrounding states, and from there to the earthquake-affected areas.

The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Martin Griffiths, said that 80% of humanitarian organizations in Afghanistan face delays in transferring funds, and that two-thirds of these organizations reported that international banks continue to refuse transfers, and that the matter hinders their response to the humanitarian situation there.

Griffiths called for the operation of the exchange center to overcome the difficulties until the reasons behind the collapse of the formal banking system of Afghanistan are addressed.


Vanguards of aid

Agence France-Presse journalists saw seven trucks of the United Nations World Food Program, loaded with tents and some nutritious biscuits, arrive Friday morning in Washkai village in Ghayan region, after a journey that lasted more than a day from the capital, Kabul.

This convoy is followed by other trucks carrying basic food rations, such as oil and rice, according to a member of the organization.

MSF was also present with two trucks loaded with tents and medicine.

The Information Office of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, announced that UNHCR has distributed tents, blankets and plastic sheets, the World Food Program has delivered food to about 14,000 people in Paktika, and the World Health Organization has provided 10 tons of medical equipment sufficient to perform 5,400 surgical operations.

The European Union estimated that 270,000 people living in the earthquake-affected areas needed assistance, and provided an initial emergency assistance of €1 million.

Iran and Qatar sent aid to the afflicted, while the United States - which withdrew from Afghanistan in late August after a 20-year war - announced that it was working with its humanitarian partners to send medical teams.

"Save the Children" organization estimated Thursday that more than 118,000 children were affected by the disaster (Anatolia)

Pakistan borders

For its part, Pakistan has opened more border crossings with its neighbor Afghanistan to contribute to providing medical assistance to the wounded in the devastating earthquake, and to facilitate the urgent arrival of injured Afghans to Pakistani hospitals.

In statements to Anatolia, many of the afflicted stressed their urgent need for food and tents.

"Our house is destroyed and we don't have a tent, and it's cold at night, we've been out in the open in the rain," one of them said, adding that they had sent their young children to relatives in other villages.

On Thursday, Save the Children estimated that more than 118,000 children were affected by the disaster, and said, "Many children are now likely no longer able to obtain drinking water, food or sleep in a safe place."

Earthquakes occur frequently in Afghanistan, especially in the Hindu Kush mountain range, which lies at the junction of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates, and these disasters can be particularly devastating due to the low resilience of rural homes.

The most violent earthquake in the modern history of Afghanistan occurred in May 1998, killing 5,000 people in Takhar and Badakhshan provinces (northeast).