President Sheikh Mohamed sends aid to Afghanistan after earthquake

Food and medical supplies on the way after disaster causes more than 1,000 deaths

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  The UAE has sent a plane carrying 30 tonnes of food, aid and medical supplies to Afghanistan for earthquake victims. All photos: Wam

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  The supplies were sent after President Sheikh Mohamed ordered that an air bridge be established to provide relief.

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  An officer inspects the relief aid.

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  Supplies are loaded into the aircraft.

The UAE is sending food, aid and medical supplies to Afghanistan after an earthquake that left more than 1,000 people dead.

President Sheikh Mohamed ordered that an air bridge be established to provide relief.

A medical team and field hospital was also dispatched to south-east Afghanistan, news agency Wam reported.

Rescuers are struggling to reach survivors in remote areas of the country after the disaster on Wednesday.

The death toll is expected to rise, as is the tally of injured, which stands at more than 1,500 people.

The 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck early on Wednesday about 160 kilometres south-east of Afghanistan's capital Kabul, in arid mountains dotted with small settlements near the border with Pakistan.

Poor communication, damaged roads and flooding from before the earthquake were hampering the emergency response, officials said on Thursday.

The town of Gayan, close to the epicentre, sustained widespread damage, with most of its mud-walled buildings damaged or completely destroyed.

Mohammad Ismail Muawiyah, spokesman for the senior Taliban military commander in hardest-hit Paktika province, told Reuters that poor telephone networks made the rescue operation difficult.

The Taliban government has called on the international community for help.

The UN has shipped about 10 tonnes of essential medical supplies to the region and sent 20 health teams, said the UN's humanitarian co-ordinator for Afghanistan, Ramiz Alakbarov.

He said a rapid assessment of the situation was being conducted and at least $15 million was urgently required — a figure that looks set to increase.

The Japanese government announced plans to provide assistance to Afghanistan, a government representative said on Thursday.

Deputy Chief Cabinet secretary Seiji Kihara said the Japanese government was co-ordinating moves to "provide necessary support promptly", as well as assessing the situation to understand local needs.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid wrote on Twitter that eight lorries of food and other necessities from Pakistan arrived in Paktika.

He said on Thursday that two planes of humanitarian aid from Iran and another from Qatar had arrived.

The US said it would look for ways to help, including through potential talks with the Taliban.

Referring to the US Agency for International Development, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said: "President Biden is monitoring developments and has directed USAID and other federal government partners to assess US response options to help those most affected."

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US was in touch with humanitarian groups active in Afghanistan that receive support from Washington.

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  Afghan men assess the damage to a house destroyed by an earthquake in Gayan village, in Paktika province, Afghanistan. Reuters

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  An Afghan girl carries empty water containers in Gayan village after the quake. Reuters

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  A Taliban helicopter takes off after bringing aid to Gayan. Reuters

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  A Gayan villager carries a sack of food aid. Reuters

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  Afghan men receive bread in Gayan village. Reuters

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  Rescuers search for survivors amid the ruins of a house in Gayan village. Reuters

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  Afghans dig a common grave for their relatives killed by the earthquake in Gayan village. AP

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  Afghan children stand in front of a tent in Gayan village after the earthquake destroyed several homes. AP

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  A child walks amidst the ruins of damaged houses after an earthquake struck Bernal district in Paktika province. AFP

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  A child walks amid the debris of a house damaged by an earthquake in Bernal district. AFP

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  Rescue workers and local residents survey a damaged house after an earthquake hit the village of Gayan in Paktia province, Afghanistan. EPA

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  A resident surveys the damage. EPA

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  Ambulances and cars transport the injured to hospital. EPA

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  Afghans walk by a destroyed house in the village of Gyan. AP

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  An Afghan child is treated in hospital. AFP

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  Afghan people queue up to donate blood to earthquake victims. AFP

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  Houses have been reduced to rubble. AFP

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  An Afghan girl stands near a house damaged by the earthquake. AP

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  An Afghan man sits near what's left of his house. AP

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  Injured children rest inside a hospital in the city of Sharan. AFP

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  Afghan boys site near their damaged house that was destroyed in an earthquake in the Spera District of the southwestern part of Khost Province, Afghanistan. AP

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  An Afghan villager sits near his damaged house that was destroyed in an earthquake in the Spera District of the southwestern part of Khost Province, Afghanistan. AP

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  An Afghan villager collects his belongings from under the rubble of his home that was destroyed in an earthquake in the Spera District of the southwestern part of Khost Province, Afghanistan. AP

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  A government helicopter evacuates injured people in Gayan district. AP

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  Dwellings in many rural areas of Afghanistan are unstable or poorly built, increasing the damage caused by earthquakes. Bakhtar News Agency

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  Many houses were destroyed in Paktika.

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  The body of a child is recovered following the quake, which was also felt in Pakistan and India.