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Concern Worldwide responding after powerful earthquake hits Afghanistan, Pakistan and India

Press release27 October 2015

Concern is assessing the situation in Pakistan and Afghanistan after a powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck northern Afghanistan.

Niv and Shanti Shrestha and their children stand amongst the devastation caused by the earthquake in Dolakha district, Nepal. Photographer: Brian Sokol, 2015, Nepal
Niv and Shanti and their children stand amongst the devastation caused by the Nepal earthquake.

International humanitarian organisation Concern Worldwide is assessing the situation in Pakistan and Afghanistan after a powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck northern Afghanistan.

The earthquake struck at 13:39 local time in Afghanistan and reports of shelters having collapsed have come from various districts and villages in the north east of the country including Badakshan, Takhar and Farkhar district. Existing Concern Worldwide teams already working in the areas have mobilised and have begun to assess the situation.

Janardhan Rao, Country Director for Concern Worldwide in Afghanistan said:

Our teams are already out assessing the damage that has been caused in Taloqan (capital of Takhar Province) and Faisabad (capital of Badakshan Province). The worst of the earthquake appears to have hit in remote areas. We need to move quickly to help the most vulnerable and ensure they have the shelter and lifesaving assistance they need.

Janardhan Rao

Dominc MacSorley, Concern Worldwide’s CEO, added: 

Massive structural damage has occurred, much of it in remote, hard to reach locations. We have been operating in the region for almost 20 years and as winter approaches we must move fast to protect families devastated by this disaster.

Dominc MacSorley

Concern has been working in Afghanistan since 1998 and Pakistan since 2001. In Afghanistan the organisation focuses on ensuring people are able to earn a living and feed themselves and their families, empowering women and improving access to clean water. In Pakistan work focuses on enhancing livelihoods and improving access to water and sanitation.

 

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

About Concern Worldwide

Concern Worldwide is an international non-governmental organisation dedicated to reducing extreme poverty and has nearly 3,000 personnel working in 27 countries around the world in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and the Caribbean. Concern Worldwide targets the root causes of extreme poverty through programs in health, education, livelihoods and microfinance, HIV and AIDS, and emergency response, directly reaching nearly 7.4 million people in 2014. 

Jane holds her baby Mark (11 months) as a nurse uses a MUAC band to check his nutrition status. Photo: Ed Ram

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