Mir Gul is a resident of Giyan who lost all six members of his family. Gul was in Kabul and after he heard about the earthquake, he quickly traveled to his home in Giyan. When Gul reached home, he found that all his family members were buried under the wreckage and killed.
“I called home but didn’t connect. Then I came and when I reached here, all six members of my family were killed. I still can’t believe it,” he said.
Hanzala is another resident of Giyan, and he lost 18 members of the family in the earthquake. “18 people were martyred. My children and wife, my brother and his family and another brother were among them,” he said.
The recent figures shows that over 300 people were killed in Giyan district and more than 170 others were wounded in Barmal district of Paktika. The dead were buried in group cemetaries.
The residents who lost their houses in the earthquake, said that they are unable to rebuild their houses. Based on available numbers, more than 3,000 residences were destroyed in two districts of Paktika.
Many humanitarian organizations sent aid to vulnerable people, but the residents said that they have yet to be provided with it. “We have not received aid. There is no way for aid,” said a destitute resident.
Sanaullah Massoum, a spokesman for the Paktika provincial office, who is also acting governor of the province, said that a committee will be established to provide aid to the people affected by the earthquake.
“The aid comes and it is collected but it is not distributed as of now. We talked with the officials to assess the problems. The survey has yet to be completed. Whenever the survey is completed, we will provide aid,” he said.
Giyan and Barmal are the two districts which were severely affected by the earthquake. The districts are located alongside the Durand line, where access to transportation and health facilities is restricted.—Tolo News
