General Assembly Session 52 meeting 86

The President

This morning, before turning to the items on our agenda, may I, on behalf of all the members of the Assembly, extend our deepest sympathy to the Government and the people of Afghanistan for the tragic loss of life and extensive material damage which have resulted from the recent earthquakes.

May I also express the hope that the international community will show its solidarity and respond promptly and generously to any request for help. In this connection, I have issued the following press release:

"The President of the General Assembly has been distressed to learn about the devastating effects of a powerful earthquake that struck north-eastern Afghanistan on 30 May. Welcoming the commitment of the Secretary-General to extend all efforts of the United Nations to alleviate the suffering of the affected population, the President wishes to convey his sincere condolences to the families of the victims and to express hope that any further loss of life can be prevented."

I now call on the representative of Afghanistan.

Mr. Farhâdi (Afghanistan)

I am very grateful to you, Mr. President, for beginning this morning's very busy meeting by referring to the devastating earthquake that happened on 30 May in the valleys in the north-east region of the country characterized by rough terrain and high mountain passages. Let me make it clear that the afflicted area is in the north-east of Afghanistan, in a region where there is no military conflict. There has been some propaganda that one party was using the earthquake against the other in the armed conflict. This is quite unacceptable; it is wrong and has no basis.

We are very grateful for your sympathy, Mr. President, for your expression of hope that the international community will continue to send help to Afghanistan and for the press release, which summarizes your wishes.

This earthquake, estimated at 6.9 on the Richter scale, was more intense than that of 4 February. Geographically, the afflicted area is wider and more extensive. It affected not only Rostaq, which had already been partly destroyed on 4 February, but also Chah-i-Ab, a town to the north, just south of the Amu river, with a population of about 35,000, and the surrounding villages. It also affected Shahr-i-Buzurg, a town to the east in the high mountains, with a population, including adjacent villages, of about 30,000. This area is west of Feyzabad in the Badakhshan province of Afghanistan, in a mountainous area to which access is difficult. It also affected Argu, a little town with a population of about 6,000 situated in the valleys of the Badakhshan province.

The main earthquake happened at 10.52 a.m. local time. Had it happened at night, like the earthquake of 4 February, the death toll would be much higher. President Burhanuddin Rabbani made an appeal to all countries and to the international non-governmental organizations for immediate assistance. We are very grateful to those countries, institutions and associations which started the work of sending humanitarian assistance to the area of the tragedy as early as 31 May. From that time, assistance has been reaching the afflicted areas through the airport in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, our neighbour to the north. In Afghanistan, the airport in Feyzabad, situated in the east of the afflicted area, and the airstrip in Khoja Ghar, are already serving the assistance operations.

We express our gratitude to those countries and organizations that have already started providing assistance, to those that are busy launching their assistance, and to those that will be sending assistance in the coming days. What is immediately needed is shelter, tents, blankets, medicine for the injured and food to which people are accustomed, such as wheat, corn, potatoes and cheese.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is publishing a daily progress report of work. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) announced on 1 June that two helicopters chartered by the ICRC in Dushanbe reached the quake-affected area of Feyzabad early in the morning and immediately began to ferry relief supplies to survivors in the villages hit by the disaster and to fly the wounded to the nearest field clinics. The helicopters had already landed in six villages, from which they evacuated 50 casualties, mainly women and children suffering from fractures, and delivered blankets and plastic sheeting.

ICRC delegates, working closely with staff of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and volunteers of the Afghan Red Crescent Society, report scenes of total devastation and stress that the immediate priorities are to evacuate and give treatment to the wounded and to provide shelter and drinking water for the survivors.

One of the most pathetic scenes was the destruction of a school in Rostaq where children -- boys and girls -- were studying. The deaths of more than 40 children and their teachers is truly to be mourned.

I spoke about short-term assistance to be delivered to the afflicted area. Middle-term assistance is needed. Since the February earthquake, we have been in contact with the United Nations Children's Fund with regard to establishing mother-and-child assistance clinics in Taliqan and in Faizabad. We have also been in contact with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization regarding the construction of boys' and girls' schools and also of the teachers' college for women and men teachers in Taliqan and Faizabad.

There is of course long-term assistance needed, and I would like to conclude by mentioning these needs. One is the construction of jeep-worthy mountain passages and roads for the transport of people and goods and also to allow assistance to reach these areas in time of tragedies and natural disasters. A second need is small hydroelectric electricity generators that can be used to help the people of the area. A third need is a study of the local architectural traditions in order to help the people of these regions in constructing dwellings that are more earthquake-resistant.

Already the United Nations has had meetings regarding these natural disasters and has worked on many items that would allow us to reach the people who are afflicted by tragedies such as this one.

The President

On behalf of the General Assembly again I would like to extend our deepest sympathy to the Government and the people of Afghanistan.