The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) also highlighted its support for affected communities and emergency response as needs assessments began.
Reports indicate that the earthquake occurred near the town of Mazar-i-Sharif around 1 a.m. local time, causing buildings to collapse on those sleeping inside.
Images posted on social media from the city’s Hazrat Ali Shrine, also known as the Blue Mosque, showed people walking through rubble on the ground of the site revered by Shiite Muslims.
Although people have been reported dead in the hardest-hit mountainous province of Samangan, initial assessments from the air indicated fewer signs of damage than initially feared.
The UN flyover, carried out with the help of Swiss authorities, also showed no signs of mass displacement that might have been expected if the earthquake had been more destructive.
“We toured the main populated areas where most of the settlements are located in the area affected by the earthquake.
“Fortunately, we saw very little widespread devastation…compared to the devastating scenes we saw in Kunar just a few weeks ago,” said Richard Trenchard, acting UN humanitarian coordinator in Afghanistan.
Still recovering from the Kunar earthquake
The new crisis follows a magnitude 6.0 earthquake on August 31 that leveled thousands of homes and vital infrastructure in Kunar province in eastern Afghanistan. The disaster uprooted hundreds of thousands of people and left half a million in need of urgent medical assistance.
The shrine of Hazrat Ali in Mazar-i-Sharif was reportedly damaged.
“What began as an acute emergency has now become a displacement crisis, with families enduring prolonged stays in temporary settlements amid increasing health risks,” the WHO said.
In addition to lack of access to clean water for displaced families, the UN agency warned of widespread open defecation and poor access to health services for women in particular, due to “the absence of female staff and lack of privacy.”
Maternal and neonatal health needs remain critical for those affected by the August earthquake amid deep cuts in funding for humanitarian efforts, WHO said, in addition to immunization, non-communicable disease case management, and mental health and psychosocial support.
On the ground in Afghanistan, UN agencies and partners say collaboration and local leadership will be crucial to driving the recovery response.
Efforts are underway to preposition supplies, mobilize surveillance teams to prevent disease outbreaks, and prepare damaged hospitals to resume operations.