KABUL (BNA): Acting Public Health Minister Dr. Qalandar Ebad elaborate on the situation of the families who suffered in a recent earthquake in Paktika and Khost provinces, adding they work day and night to provide shelter for the victims.
During a press conference here in Kabul on Monday, Dr. Ebad presented a report on the ministry’s mission in caring for the victims and treating the injured people of the recent earthquake and called on the international community and aid organizations to work together to provide temporary and permanent shelter to the victims.
Dr. Qalandar Ebad said that the quake-hit sites were mountainous located where the process of providing aid to these areas was undoubtedly challenging.
“Women and children could suffer from various diseases due to the cold weather if urgent action is not taken to provide shelter to the earthquake-stricken families,”. He added.
According to him death toll from the quake in Paktika and Khost provinces reached 1,000 but said a number of injured had also died in hospitals and that the death toll from the recent quake in the provinces had risen.
A number of injured victims transferred to some neighboring provinces, and those who received superficial wounds were treated and discharged there. He added.
The Minister of Public Health affirmed the occurrence of mental illness among the families of the victims in Paktika and Khost provinces but rebuffed some media outlets about the spread of infectious diseases such as cholera among the earthquake victims.
He asserted concern about the aftershocks in the mentioned sites, saying that parts of these areas have witnessed strong aftershocks.
Dr. Ebad said the Ministry of Public Health and other relevant government and non-government bodies are working to relocate the quake-hit families to safe and secure areas but said this process needs shelter, drinkable water, and basic services.
He called on the international community to work with the Afghan government to relocate these families to safer places and to provide them with shelter and basic services.
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