Maldivians deliver aid to victims of deadly Afghan quakes

The International Aid Campaign (IAC) has delivered aid to people affected by a series of earth quakes that killed thousands in Afghanistan earlier this month.

Maldivian-based IAC reported on Saturday it has not ceased efforts to assist the people affected by the Afghan earthquake.

The non-profit said it has delivered blankets, kitchen utensils and mats to 200 families.

“All this is the assistance provided by the Maldivian people,” said the IAC.

The 6.3-magnitude quake on October 7 – followed by strong aftershocks – jolted hard-to-reach areas near Herat, toppling rural homes and sending panicked city dwellers into the streets.

Over 2,000 people died in the quakes, over 90 percent of them women and children, according to the UN's children agency UNICEF.

Afghanistan is already in the grip of a humanitarian crisis, with the widespread withdrawal of foreign aid after the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, which has had a severe impact on its healthcare system.

The country is frequently hit by earthquakes, especially in the Hindu Kush mountain range, as it lies near the junction of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates.

In June last year, the province of Paktika was hit by a 5.9 magnitude quake which killed more than 1,000 people and left tens of thousands homeless.