Rescue teams are facing challenges after the devastating earthquake in Afghanistan. According to the United Nations, humanitarian aid workers in the earthquake-affected provinces of Afghanistan are facing serious communication and connectivity problems.
People of Hindu and Sikh community extended a helping hand to the earthquake affected people
Meanwhile, people from the Hindu and Sikh community living in Afghanistan have extended a helping hand to the earthquake-affected people. They have sent relief material for the earthquake victims in the eastern provinces. Manjit Singh Lambe, president of the Council of Hindu and Sikh Minorities of Afghanistan, told local media that the Sikhs of Afghanistan, along with the expatriate communities living abroad and the Vishwa Hindu Sangh, have sent humanitarian aid for the earthquake victims.
Jalalabad was visited by the Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak
The cities that suffered this devastation include Jalalabad, which was visited by Sikh Guru Guru Nanak. Gurdwara Guru Nanak Darbar is located in this city. The exact number of Hindus and Sikhs currently living in Afghanistan is not available. According to the European Union Agency for Asylum, their number was more than seven lakh in the 1970s, which had come down to about 150 by the end of 2021.
According to a post on the website of a Sikh and Hindu organisation, in 2019, the now-dissolved Independent Election Commission of Afghanistan recorded 1,105 Sikh and Hindu voters across the country, of which 759 were in Kabul, 342 in Nangarhar province and only four in Helmand.
Hundreds of thousands of people affected by the earthquake
UN officials fear the quake could affect hundreds of thousands of people. Access for relief and rescue operations was “extremely limited” in the first 24 hours after Sunday’s quake. Landslides and rock falls caused by the quake hampered rescue operations. Some roads were already blocked by landslides due to recent heavy rains.
Since then, several aftershocks have been felt in the region. The first earthquake of magnitude 6.0 struck near the Pakistan border on Sunday and another of magnitude 5.2 struck two days later on Tuesday.
Taliban regime appeals to global community for assistance
The Taliban regime, facing sanctions and aid cuts, has appealed to the global community for assistance. So far 40 countries are in talks with Kabul, but only Russia has recognised the Taliban regime. India has already sent humanitarian aid including 1,000 tents and 15 tonnes of food items. New Delhi has assured Kabul of continued assistance in medicines and food supplies.
