To help Afghanistan's earthquake victims, Taiwan joined forces with the Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay), a Turkish charity mostly known for its humanitarian efforts across the world. Two weeks ago, Afghanistan was struck by one of the deadliest disasters in recollection. The 6.1 magnitude quake in the landlocked South Asian nation left 1,150 people dead and 1,600 others wounded, according to official figures.
Afghanistan's mountainous geography did not help the situation either as the quake triggered landslides and rockslides. Earlier, Taiwan announced $1 million in emergency aid for the victims.
In a statement on Friday, Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry said the government decided to cooperate with the Turkish Red Crescent to provide “immediate relief to the victims and carry forward the spirit of humanitarian concern.” It lauded the Turkish Red Crescent for its “international credibility” and “years of practical implementation experience in Afghanistan.”
Some 2,000 houses have been destroyed in the worst earthquake in Afghanistan in two decades leaving 270,000 people in need of aid, the statement further said.
“The first batch of emergency supplies including food and medical supplies will be delivered to the disaster-stricken areas and distributed to the affected households as soon as possible,” the statement added.
The rebuilding of schools and infrastructure is also part of the post-disaster recovery plan, it added. After the Taliban administration took over Afghanistan, the United Nations could no longer carry out search and rescue activities. Therefore, according to a senior U.N. official, Turkey is the best option to provide it. Even though the Turkish Red Crescent is best known for its blood donation campaign in Turkey, the organization has been assisting countries in more need of help since its establishment. The charity has aided 137 countries. In the past, the Turkish Red Crescent provided food, water and hygiene kits for thousands of earthquake victims in many places like Indonesia and Nepal. And it continues to do so.
