UAE-based initiative sends aid to thousands after deadly Afghan quake

Teams reach parts of worst-hit Paktika province to deliver food, vital medical assistance

A Staff Reporter

Published: Wed 29 Jun 2022, 11:30 AM

Following the deadliest earthquake to hit Afghanistan in two decades, the UAE-founded Fatima Bint Mohamed Bin Zayed Initiative (FBMI) has sent aid and vital medical support to thousands of people impacted by the crisis.

FBMI has deployed its mobile healthcare teams on the ground to assist villages in eastern Afghanistan most affected by the earthquake. More than 1,000 people have been killed with thousands more injured and in need of urgent assistance.

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Over the weekend, FBMI teams reached parts of Paktika province, near the border with Pakistan, which has been the worst hit. Vital food aid has been delivered, along with tents for shelter and medicines.

FBMI doctors are providing basic healthcare to children, women and men as fears of a cholera outbreak grow. Basic sanitation is lacking in the area and with hundreds of homes destroyed, the need for urgent medical assistance is growing by the day.

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Maywand Jabarkhyl, CEO, FBMI said: "The situation on the ground is incredibly desperate. Many people have no food or drinking water, some hospitals and clinics have been damaged and there's growing concern of a cholera outbreak emerging in the weeks ahead."

Jabarkhyl added: "The areas most affected by the earthquake are very remote, hard to access and far away from major cities. One key issue that people are facing is the lack of hospital beds, as well as reports that there are very few female doctors available."