Aid Relief Efforts Made by Afghans in America for Earthquake Victims By Khaleda Atta April-June 1998 Lemar-Aftaab On February 4, 1998, a horrific earthquake, measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale, hit Takhar province, the epicenter of the quake, near the Tajik-Afghan border of Northeastern Afghanistan, leaving behind 5,000 dead and over 30,000 homeless, while thousands more are still missing. The quake, lasting about 8 minutes and 7 seconds hit the city of Rustaq, 150 miles north of the Afghan capital, Kabul, "destroying 15,000 homes," said Sher Mohammed, a spokesman for the anti-Taliban military alliance that controls the area to CNN and the Associated Press . According to USGS (United States Geological Survey), the depth of the quake was 215.9 kilometers. Recently, there have been three more aftershocks killing 11 more people, taking out village after village. In a story done by Reuters, it was said that Khadaynazar Pirmat, 35, and his wife and several donkeys left their village of Kazyr, which was destroyed in the quake, and headed for Rustaq. The couple's six children were all killed in the disaster. "We're dying of cold...we have to leave," he told Reuters Television. Sub-freezing temperatures in Afghanistan during the earthquake only impeded the entire aid process for all means of getting to the victims were blocked whether in rubbish or snow. "Protected only by blankets, earthquake survivors shivered in freezing weather near their crumbled homes," described the AP in an CNN news report. "We put 15 to 20 people in each grave, because there weren't enough people left to dig [graves]," described Sher Mohammed. "Fourteen tons of relief supplies are still stuck in the southern Kazakh city Almaty because of bad weather," the Dushanbe office of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said in a report by the Associated Press and Reuters. Aid relief efforts made by the Afghan community in America so far has been wonderfully amazing. In the Abu-Bakr Siddiq masjid of Flushing, New York, Imam Haji Akbar raised $20,000 worth of donations for the earthquake victims. Suraya Sadeed, founder of the non-profit organization, Help the Afghan Children, has raised over $30,000 in cash donations from Afghans across the US Also, Afghan Azadi radio, through a broadcast in the Washington DC and Northern California areas amazingly raised $46,000 worth of donations in twenty minutes for the fellow Afghans. Other organizations such as the Afghan Student Association (ASA.), Association for Peace and Democracy, and other gracious Afghan businesses and families has also done their part in helping by raising money. Afghan Academy in Virginia raised $5,000 for the quake victims. Also, Mr. Farooq Massoud, head of the Washington Flyer Cab Co. and the cab drivers at Dulles Airport of Virginia raised $8,400. Last but not least, a combination of four masjids/mosques from Northern California added $7,300. Another dedicated soul, Dr. Zieba Shorish-Shamley, head of the Women's Alliance for Peace and Human Rights in Afghanistan (WAPHA) desperately tried to inform Afghans of the natural disaster and get them to help the earthquake victims. For caring Afghans who want to help out the poor helpless souls of our country, please contact your local ICRC chapter and make checks payable to "ICRC: for the Afghan Earthquake Victims" Even though a lot of money has been raised already, our people desperately need more in order to survive this horrific, devastating tragedy. The graciousness of all the fellow brothers and sisters helping out will be greatly appreciated. Atop of all the destruction the earthquake has caused, the number of casualties rose when “flash floods that roared through southern Afghanistan killed at least more 30 people and injured 300, Afghan officials and aid workers said,” according to a report by the Associated Press (AP). United Nations officials in neighboring Pakistan say they have received reports that about 300 people have been hospitalized with injuries suffered in the flood. “Dozens more people are suffering from respiratory and stomach ailments, the result of inadequate shelter and clean drinking water,” the officials said to the AP. Currently 85% of Afghanistan is under Taliban rule and the other 15% is in the hands of the opposition alliance (which also controls Takhar). When commenting on the recent natural disasters destroying Afghanistan, some may say that it is the anger of God that is causing all these tragedies, others may feel that it is about time God put those poor people out of their misery. Who's to say what the real reason is that our people are suffering so bad. Related Links: Ehsan Aman Concert Brings Help to Quake Victims (April-June 98) Feed the Afghan Children (offical website) Copyright © 1998 Aftaabzad Publications. All Rights Reserved. May not be duplicated or distributed in any form without permission.