Video Transcript

We begin the show with some breaking news from Afghanistan where over 600 people have been killed by an earthquake. A further 1,500 have so far been reported injured. Officials say the magnitude 6 quake struck the mountainous region near the city of Jalalabat. The military has been deployed to help rescue people from remote villages that have been badly affected. The northeastern provinces where several tectonic plates meet are particularly susceptible to seismic activity. We'll bring you more on this developing story as it comes in. [Applause] Well, we can now cross over to Da Al Sharif with the Danish Refugee Council. She's in Kabell. What more can you tell us about this earthquake? Um thank you Terry. Uh at the moment the information are still incoming. It's still early days so it's hard to um yet know the the impact of these earthquakes. Uh but since last night we're trying to collect information. Our team are deployed in the east. Uh what we know is that the most impacted areas uh are in Kunar and Nankahar. Uh we know that some of the villages uh that are quite remote are still inaccessible. While the number of deaths uh thus far that we have uh received is around 800 killed. We expect the number to increase as many families remain to be under rubbles. Um it's important as well to mention that many of these locations are really hard to access at the moment. Uh the authorities uh forces are trying to clear the roads. Um so assistance uh will be uh impacted um as the roads needs to be cleared. How well prepared is the af is the Taliban government to respond to a disaster like this? Um uh there are some deployments at the moment. We know there is uh uh some uh clearances of roads undertaken and some evacuation. But there is a lot that is needed a lot of assistance that is needed at the moment. Our team and others are deployed uh are doing assessment and try to collect information and try to provide immediate response as much as possible. But let me also mention that this area is impacted as well by the force return from Pakistan. Um actually in Kunar and in Nongahar it's one of the high return areas where many have been forced to return. They have returned to this areas trying to rebuild their lives and they are now impacted by this earthquake. The assistant that is required at the moment is certainly medical evacuation. It's clearance of of uh the rebels, emergency health care assistance, shelter, food, everything is needed at the moment. Afghanistan since the Taliban took over there uh has been isolated internationally to some degree. Is the Taliban government willing to ask other countries for help in this situation? We as humanitarian uh organizations uh of course our work is to provide humanitarian assistance um uh to the most impacted areas and families. We have been impacted by the budget cuts uh especially recently since the US budget cuts but then also the reduction is funding overall. The capacity to respond um is uh has been weakened uh since the beginning of this year. Um we are deployed along with other organizations and the UN um organization to respond but certainly more is needed um urgently at the moment. Daniela, thank you very much for talking with us today. That was Daniel Al Sharif with the Danish Refugee Council in Kabul.

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Video Summary

Overview

A breaking news report about a devastating magnitude 6 earthquake in northeastern Afghanistan, specifically impacting the remote provinces of Kunar and Nangahar near Jalalabat. The report includes an interview with a humanitarian official detailing the ongoing rescue efforts and severe challenges.

Key Takeaways

• Over 600-800 people have been killed, with the death toll expected to rise as many remain trapped under rubble.
• Approximately 1,500 people have been reported injured.
• The most impacted areas are remote villages in Kunar and Nangahar provinces, which are currently hard to access.
• The military has been deployed to clear roads and assist with rescue operations.
• Critical needs include medical evacuation, emergency healthcare, shelter, food, and clearing rubble.
• The humanitarian response is complicated by recent budget cuts, forced returnees from Pakistan in the area, and the region's inherent inaccessibility.

Conclusion

This is a severe and developing disaster where the number of casualties is expected to increase. A massive and urgent international humanitarian response is needed to address the immediate medical and survival needs of the affected population, despite existing logistical and funding challenges.