Afghanistan earthquake kills at least 1,000 people

Early on June 22nd, a 5.9 magnitude earthquake hit Afghanistan. According to the US Geological Survey, the earthquake was recorded at a depth of 10 kilometers (about 6 miles).
The UN has identified the affected areas to be Paktika Province’s Barmal, Ziruk, Nika, and Gayan districts, along with the Spera district in Khost Province.
Paktika province’s information and culture department head, Mohammad Amin Hozaifa, has reported that over 1,000 people have been killed and at least 1,500 injured in the Gayan and Barmal districts alone. The death and injury toll is expected to continue rising.
Afghanistan’s Taliban government has allocated 1 billion Afghanis (AFN, the local currency) to relief funds while also appealing for more international aid to cover costs.
Mawlawi Sharafuddin Muslim, Afghanistan’s Deputy Minister of State Ministry for Natural Disaster Management, announced, “Based on the order of the Prime Minister, it was decided to pay the family of each dead person 100,000AFN and family of each wounded person 50,000AFN.” These amounts equate to roughly $1,120 and $660, respectively.