The Indonesian Embassy In Kabul Ensures That No Indonesian Citizens Are Affected By The Afghan Earthquake

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Indonesian Embassy in Kabul ensured that so far no Indonesian citizens have been affected by the earthquake that rocked Afghanistan.

An earthquake measuring 6 on the Richter scale rocked eastern Afghanistan. The US Geological Survey (USGS) noted the epicenter was 27 kilometers east of Jalalabad.

"The Indonesian Embassy in Kabul has coordinated with Indonesian citizens in Afghanistan, and so far there have been no reports of casualties," said spokesman II of the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Vahd Nabyl A. Mulachela to VOI.id as quoted on Tuesday, September 2.

"There are about 40 Indonesian citizens there (Afghanistan), most of whom live in Kabul," he added.

Meanwhile, local authorities recorded the death toll and injuries from the earthquake increased. The death toll grew to more than 800 people, while the injured were about 2,800 people, quoted by Reuters.

Sharafat Zaman, a spokesman for the Ministry of Health in Kabul, called for international assistance to cope with the damage caused by the earthquake that occurred at midnight local time at a depth of 10 km (6 miles).

"We need it (humanitarian assistance) because here many people have lost their lives and homes," he told Reuters.

The quake killed 812 people in the provinces of Kunar and Nangarhar in eastern Pakistan, government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said.

Meanwhile, rescue teams are struggling to reach remote mountainous areas cut off from mobile networks along Pakistan's border, where mud-pattered houses scattered on slopes collapsed due to the earthquake.

"Earthquakes have also been affected by heavy rains in the last 24-48 hours, so the risk of landslides and landslides is also quite significant - which is why many roads cannot be passed," Kate Carey, a UN Office officer for Humanitarian Affairs Coordination (UNOCHA), told Reuters.

Carey added that rescue teams and authorities are trying to quickly dispose of animal carcasses to minimize the risk of water resource pollution.

The number of victims could increase as rescue teams access a more remote location, authorities said.

"All of our teams have been mobilized to speed up aid, so comprehensive and full support can be provided," said Health Ministry spokesman Abdul Maten Qanee, referring to efforts in various fields, from safety to food and health.

Meanwhile, the Defense Ministry said military rescue teams were deployed throughout the region, with 40 flights carrying 420 injured and dead.

This earthquake is Afghanistan's deadliest third major earthquake since the Taliban took power in 2021 when foreign forces withdrew, sparking cuts to international funds that are mostly government finances.

An earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale that killed 1,000 people in the eastern region in 2022 was the first major natural disaster facing the Taliban government.

Diplomats and aid officials say the crisis in various parts of the world, along with donors' frustration over the Taliban's policy of women, including restrictions for those working as aid workers, has sparked cuts in funds.

Humanitarian agencies say they are battling a forgotten crisis in Afghanistan, where the United Nations estimates more than half of its population is in dire need of humanitarian assistance.

"So far, no foreign government has contacted to provide rescue support or humanitarian assistance," a spokesman for Afghanistan's Foreign Ministry said on Monday.