UAE President sends search and rescue team to Afghanistan to provide urgent aid

Under the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE has urgently dispatched an Emirati search and rescue team from the Abu Dhabi Civil Defence Authority, the National Guard, and the Joint Operations Command to support search and rescue operations and assist those affected by the earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan.

The UAE also sent critical humanitarian aid, including essential relief materials such as food, medical supplies, and tents, with the aim of supporting affected families and the injured.

The aid is part of the UAE’s immediate humanitarian response to natural disasters and crises, reflecting its international humanitarian mission, as well as its commitment to swiftly extending a helping hand around the world.

The UAE remains steadfast in fulfilling its global humanitarian role in solidarity with those affected by crises, underscoring the country's determination to strengthen international cooperation by providing urgent support and alleviating the suffering of those in need.

One of Afghanistan's worst earthquakes killed more than 800 people and injured at least 2,800, authorities said on Monday, as rescuers struggled to reach remote areas due to rough mountainous terrain and inclement weather.

The disaster will further stretch the resources of the war-torn nation's Taliban administration, already grappling with crises ranging from a sharp drop in foreign aid to deportations of hundreds of thousands of Afghans by neighbouring countries.

Sharafat Zaman, spokesperson for the health ministry in Kabul, called for international aid to tackle the devastation wrought by the quake of magnitude 6 that struck around midnight local time, at a depth of 10 km (6 miles).

WAM