Afghanistan's Herat province has been struck yet again by a powerful earthquake, just four days after a devastating quake took the lives of over 2,000 people.
This recent earthquake, measuring 6.3 magnitude, shook the region in the early hours of Wednesday morning, leaving residents living in fear and despair, as per to ABC News.
Afghanistan Hit by Second Powerful Earthqquake
US Geological Survey said the earthquake's epicenter was approximately 29 kilometers north of the city of Herat. There have been no immediate reports of new casualties, bringing a ray of hope to the devastation.
The majority of the structures in Herat City are made of concrete, making them more resistant to earthquakes than the mud-brick structures in the worst-affected areas. Previous earthquakes and aftershocks destroyed at least eleven villages in the Zenda Jan district of the province of Herat, leaving many families homeless and without homes.
The catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, coupled with the cessation of foreign aid and the recent return of the Taliban to power, has only exacerbated the challenges faced by the affected communities.
In addition, the province has been experiencing a severe drought, which has exacerbated the plight of its rural population. Due to the earthquake, Herat's regional public hospital has been inundated with injured individuals seeking medical attention.
The urgency with which ambulances enter and exit the hospital gates reveals a pressing need for immediate assistance. Outside the intensive care unit, physicians and nurses have set up an improvised monitoring station to treat the injured.
With bloodied arms and legs being bandaged, IV drips dangling from rickety metal supports and cries mixing with shouts of fear, medical personnel are doing everything possible to provide solace and care, according to News18.
Rebuilding Hope in Herat's Earthquake Tragedy
The individual narratives that surfaced due to the tragedy portray a heartbreaking picture of loss and suffering. Wearing an orange salwar kameez covered in dirt, one devastated father carried a young child to the triage station, hopeful for salvation.
After Saturday's initial earthquake, this father and the boy left Nawabad village on a perilous voyage to discover their homes and loved ones destroyed. The man's request to explore the morgue for his missing relatives reflects the desperation felt throughout the province.
Considering their construction materials and close-knit living arrangements, villages in rural Afghanistan are especially vulnerable to the devastation caused by earthquakes. Homes constructed of mud and supported by timber pillars offer little resistance to earthquakes and have the potential to collapse completely, causing widespread destruction.
The lack of steel or concrete reinforcement further exacerbates the vulnerability of these structures. The recent series of earthquakes in Herat province have devastated the lives of its residents, who were already facing unresolved issues due to the ongoing withdrawal of foreign aid and years of drought.
As the region continues to deal with the immediate aftermath of the recent earthquake, substantial humanitarian assistance must be provided to alleviate the suffering of those afflicted. With international aid and the perseverance of the people of Herat, hope can be reconstructed from the remains of destruction, The New York Times Reported.
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