1,172 children have died in the devastating earthquake in Afghanistan, SIR (Servizio Informazione Religiosa) reported, citing UNICEF.
The strongest tremor on August 31 killed at least 2,200 people and the number could rise. The UN estimates that the disaster affected about 500,000 people, more than half of whom are children.
„Afghanistan is once again shaken by tragedy, and children are the hardest hit by the worsening crisis. We must respond not only with urgency, but also with a commitment to immediately reverse the trend. They are bearing the brunt of the powerful earthquake that struck the eastern provinces of Konar and Nangarhar on 31 August, followed by multiple strong aftershocks, UNICEF said.
At least 1,172 children have died, more than half of the total. In addition, 45 children have been separated from their families and 271 have been orphaned.
Children in the hardest-hit areas of Konar and Nangarhar are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. In these remote mountain communities, children face multiple threats, including untreated wounds, unsafe water and sanitation, worsening malnutrition, disrupted schooling and profound emotional distress.