RASC News Agency: Following the recent devastating earthquake in western Afghanistan, which resulted in a significant loss of life, an urgent plea for assistance has been made by a representative of the World Food Program (WFP) to the international community.
During his visit to Herat, Philip Croft, the public relations officer of the WFP, made this heartfelt appeal on Wednesday, October 11, while personally witnessing the devastating aftermath and meeting with the affected individuals.
Croft described the Herat earthquake as an additional catastrophe compounding the existing challenges faced by Afghanistan, highlighting the country’s unfortunate string of successive disasters.
According to Croft, the current estimate suggests that nearly five million people in Afghanistan are in dire need of food, yet the WFP can only provide humanitarian aid to three million individuals.
The World Food Program official emphasized the detrimental impact of the Herat earthquake, underscoring its destruction of vital infrastructure, including healthcare facilities in the region, in addition to the loss of life.
Taking swift action, Croft announced that immediate food assistance would be dispatched to every affected family during the first month, followed by the distribution of cash aid.
Furthermore, the World Food Program intends to implement comprehensive plans and programs to combat and prevent malnutrition among children in the affected areas.
While the World Food Program appeals for assistance from the international community to aid the victims of the Herat earthquake, the United Nations has previously expressed concerns about the insufficient funds available, which have hindered the process of providing aid to those affected.
Meanwhile, international organizations have reported that the earthquake in Herat province on Saturday of this week has tragically claimed the lives of over two thousand people, with nearly 12 thousand individuals being affected by the disaster.
