KABUL: Survivors of a powerful earthquake in northern Afghanistan that killed more than 25 people and injured nearly 1,000 were digging through the rubble of their homes Tuesday, trying to salvage what belongings they could after spending the night outside in the bitter cold.
Rain was forecast for the region, further compounding the misery for survivors.
The 6.3 magnitude quake struck just before 1 a.m. local time Monday, with an epicenter 22 kilometers (14 miles) west-southwest of the town of Khulm in Samangan province. By early Tuesday afternoon, the death stood at 27, while another 956 people were injured, Public Health Ministry spokesperson Sharafat Zaman said in a statement.
The tremor also damaged historical sites, including Afghanistan’s famed Blue Mosque in the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif, which is one of Afghanistan’s most revered religious landmarks, and the Bagh-e-Jahan Nama Palace in Khulm.
The Blue Mosque’s minaret was badly damaged, while some bricks and tiles had fallen from some of the mosque’s walls and cracks appeared in other parts of the centuries-old site, said Mahmoodullah Zarar, Head of Information and Culture of Balkh Province.
“The Holy Shrine is a valuable monument of Islamic values and the history of the Islamic era ... (and) is in dire need of repair and restoration,” he said, adding that information on the damage had been shared with the ministry of art and culture.
Video footage from the mosque, which is a major gathering place during Islamic and cultural festivals, showed structural damage to parts of the mosque, while brickwork and the decorative tiles that adorn its facade had crumbled in several places and laid strewn on the ground.
The most severely damaged historical monument in the province was the 19th century Bagh-e Jehan Nama Palace, said Firozuddin Munib, Samangan province’s Head of Information and Culture. The palace, built in 1890-1892, and its adjoining gardens are a popular site for visitors.
“The restoration of this palace is very important because winter is coming and the area is cold, and it is raining, which may cause further damage,” Munib said, adding that the quake caused a surrounding wall and one tower to collapse and also led to cracks in the palace and other towers.
In Khulm, aftershocks rattled survivors, who spent the night out in the open.
“People are still scared because of last night’s earthquake because small tremors were felt during the day,” said local resident Asadullah Samangani. “We spent the night in the open ground last night, the weather was very cold, we couldn’t sleep, we feel like there will be another earthquake now.”
He said authorities had sent tents and basic necessities, but that his home was “completely destroyed, nothing was left intact to use. Our children were all sick in the morning because we had spent the night in the cold, and all the household items were under the rubble.
“People from other areas came to help, but our belongings are still under rubble and damaged. Our women are facing great difficulties, we do not have a toilet and we do not have a place where our women can spend the night.”
Rescue crews were still operating in some areas on Tuesday, and were expected to finish by the end of the day.
The World Health Organization said partial damage had been reported in several health facilities, while the laboratory at the Samangan Provincial Hospital had collapsed, destroying critical medical equipment. Emergency response operations with health teams and rescue units were ongoing, it said.
Impoverished Afghanistan often faces difficulty in responding to natural disasters, especially in remote regions. Buildings tend to be low-rise constructions, mostly of concrete and brick, with homes in rural and outlying areas made from mud bricks and wood, many poorly built.
In August, a quake in eastern Afghanistan killed more than 2,200 people.
Afghanistan earthquake survivors face cold and rain amid rubble
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Afghanistan earthquake survivors face cold and rain amid rubble
- Death toll stood at 27, while another 956 people were injured, Public Health Ministry spokesperson Sharafat Zaman said in a statement
WHO says low taxes are making sugary drinks, alcohol more affordable
- The WHO has called for higher taxes on alcohol and sugar-sweetened drinks multiple times in recent years
- “Health taxes are not a silver bullet, and they’re not simple,” said Ghebreyesus
NEW YORK: Sugary drinks and alcohol are not being sufficiently taxed and remain affordable, making it harder to tackle the chronic health problems caused by these beverages, according to two reports from the World Health Organization.
The WHO has called for higher taxes on alcohol and sugar-sweetened drinks multiple times in recent years, arguing it would help cut consumption of the products which contribute to diseases such as diabetes, as well as raise money at a time when development aid is shrinking and public debt is rising.
According to a report from WHO, sugary drinks have become more affordable in 62 countries in 2024 compared with 2022. In a separate report, the health agency said beer has become more affordable in 56 countries during the same period.
“Health taxes are not a silver bullet, and they’re not simple. They can be politically unpopular and they attract opposition from powerful industries with deep pockets and a lot to lose, but many countries have shown that when they’re done right, they’re a powerful tool for health,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus.
Last year, the health agency launched the “3 by 35” initiative to push countries to raise the prices of sugary drinks, alcohol and tobacco by 50 percent over the next 10 years through taxation.
WHO expects the tax initiative to raise $1 trillion by 2035, based on evidence from health taxes in countries such as Colombia and South Africa.
Soda makers such as Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, and Mondelez, which manufactures Oreo cookies, have faced scrutiny from US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has pushed the “Make America Healthy Again” agenda, recommending that consumers avoid highly processed foods and eat more protein and less sugar to achieve a healthy diet.
