Afghanistan Earthquake: Taliban And World Response – OpEd
Eurasia ReviewOct 09, 2023
A second earthquake hit the province of Herat in western Afghanistan on Wednesday, only days after approximately 1K individuals are believed to have died from an earthquake and its aftershocks in the country on Saturday.
Recorded again at a 6.3 magnitude, the earthquake occurred at approximately 5:10 a.m. local time (7:40 p.m. EST Tuesday), 17 miles north of the province's capital – also named Herat.
A flashpoint for earthquakes, the recent natural disasters in Afghanistan have exposed not only the insufficient governance and healthcare system of the Taliban but also the slow response by the UN, the World Health Organization, and the likes of the US – who have much to blame for Afghanistan's current social and political position.
The UN and the international aid community are trying the best they can in Afghanistan but are stretched thin as they continue to battle factors including chronic malnutrition, unemployment, and severe human rights issues — all of which cannot be put to the side. Global institutions are trying to persevere in the face of these shocks and stressors and address a crisis on top of a crisis.