Gyan in Paktika province is one of the areas hardest hit by the strong earthquake in Afghanistan on Wednesday. The quake had a magnitude of 6 and is the deadliest earthquake in two decades, according to authorities in the country.
Since the Taliban regime took power in August 2021, large sections of the international community have left the country and many countries have stopped their aid.
– It is an area that is on the border with Pakistan, it is quite hilly and difficult to access. Between 800,000 and one million people live in this area, mainly in smaller communities, says Klas Bjurström, senior strategic adviser at the Swedish Afghanistan Committee, in Morgonstudion.
May need to ask for help
Now aid is coming from a number of countries, Iran and Qatar have sent two planes of humanitarian aid, and Pakistan and Japan are also supporting. Afghanistan has not formally asked the UN for support after the earthquake, but several UN bodies have gained access to the affected areas.
The need for outside support can lead to the Taliban being forced to turn to the outside world, according to the Swedish Afghanistan Committee.
– This was the case in the 90s, for example, when the country was hit by earthquakes. As a result, the Taliban tried to a greater extent to turn to the outside world, ask for help and communicate, says Klas Bjurström.
600 rescued
According to a statement from the Taliban regime late Wednesday night, about 600 people have been rescued from the landslides. Many of the worst affected villages are located in inaccessible mountain areas and poor telephone networks make it difficult to form an idea of how great the devastation is.
– The people are left to themselves, they expect quite a bit of support from the central government and instead take it locally and start digging people out themselves, says Klas Bjurström.