Concern ready to support the Afghanistan earthquake response

The Irish humanitarian organisation has prepositioned stock such as shelter and non-food items on standby to support those affected, in coordination with other humanitarian actors responding on the ground.

The 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck late on Sunday night in Afghanistan with three provinces of Kunar, Nangarhar and Laghman, near the border with Pakistan, the worst hit.

“The numbers of people killed or injured are changing on an hourly basis.  The regions impacted are mountainous areas that are extremely remote and difficult to reach.  In normal circumstances the roads are very poor and in general infrastructure doesn’t exist. With the earthquake this has gotten even worse, with access to some villages no longer possible,” said Shahzad Jamil, Concern Country Director in Afghanistan.

“The most immediate needs are cooked food, water, medical supplies, tents, blankets, kitchen sets, hygiene supplies and clothes.  Concern works in north-eastern Afghanistan, not in the areas impacted, however we are awaiting the assessment findings from those agencies working on the response directly, on how best we can assist and where best the emergency supplies, we have available, can be used.”

Concern has worked in Afghanistan for 27 years, since first responding to a major earthquake there in 1998.

For further information contact Eilis Staunton, Media Relations Officer, Concern Worldwide, at eilis.staunton@concern.net or +353 85 872 0720.