UN calls for $15m in urgent Afghanistan aid after deadly earthquake

More than 1,000 people are feared dead and 1,500 more wounded

The UN is scrambling to raise money and respond to a devastating earthquake in eastern Afghanistan that has left more than 1,000 people dead and thousands more injured.

The 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck near the city of Khost, in a mountainous area near the border of Pakistan, with most of the damage seeming to have hit Paktika province.

Ramiz Alakbarov, the UN’s deputy special representative and resident humanitarian co-ordinator in Kabul, called for $15 million in emergency relief aid on Wednesday.

“We're concerned about not just non-food items and getting people into shelters and providing medical supplies, but also preventing waterborne diseases,” Mr Alakbarov said from his office in Kabul.

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

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

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

A Gayan villager carries a sack of food aid. Reuters

Afghan men receive bread in Gayan village. Reuters

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

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

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

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

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

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

A resident surveys the damage. EPA

Ambulances and cars transport the injured to hospital. EPA

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

An Afghan child is treated in hospital. AFP

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

Houses have been reduced to rubble. AFP

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

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

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

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

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

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

A government helicopter evacuates injured people in Gayan district. AP

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

Many houses were destroyed in Paktika.

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

Mr Alakbarov said rescue efforts had been complicated by heavy rains and bad weather in the area.

The Taliban, which have controlled Afghanistan since the collapse of the western-backed government last August, have appealed for help from aid agencies.

“Unfortunately, last night there was a severe earthquake in four districts of Paktika province, which killed and injured hundreds of our countrymen and destroyed dozens of houses,” Taliban spokesman Bilal Karimi wrote on Twitter.

“We urge all aid agencies to send teams to the area immediately to prevent further catastrophe.”

The UN said it has already shipped 10 tonnes of emergency medical supplies to the area, including 30 emergency health kits and 50 surgical health kits. In addition, Mr Alakbarov said 18 mobile health teams had been sent to Paktika province.

The earthquake comes at a time when more than half of all Afghans are already facing humanitarian crises.

“The situation in the country is very difficult, and this does add to the burden,” Mr Alakbarov said.

The Taliban's limited resources and precarious international standing mean the country is struggling to respond.

“We do not have the capacity, as I said, for taking people from under the rubble,” said Mr Alakbarov, “Such capacity does not exist.”

The UN representative said he was talking with regional partners to try secure the necessary heavy machinery.