Herat:

The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) has issued an urgent appeal for $19 million in funds to meet the immediate needs of people affected by a series of devastating earthquakes and accompanying aftershocks that struck Herat province in Afghanistan a little over a week ago.

A 2,000-person death toll has been reported in the aftermath of a massive 6.3-magnitude earthquake. Ana Maria Salhuana, the WFP's deputy country director in Afghanistan, has reaffirmed the organization's steadfast commitment to assisting survivors of the current disaster.

Salhuana has stressed the urgent need for increased funding, stating that the WFP is forced to reallocate resources from an already critically underfunded program in order to deliver critical food aid.

Meanwhile, the neighboring nation of Tajikistan has arranged a caravan of 130 cars. This humanitarian caravan has been dispatched to deliver much-needed help to people in need, carrying 3,250 tons of essential supplies. The entire value of this donation is estimated to be $1.5 million.

According to Hafiz Obaidullah, a top Taliban official, the organization's help includes a variety of vital supplies such as tents, drinking water, sleeping mats, blankets, cement, fuel materials, and several other requirements.

WFP also said that families who have been affected by recent events will likely need help for a long time, especially since winter is coming up. They stressed that if enough money is available, immediate emergency response efforts will be paired with comprehensive resilience programs.

Meanwhile, the organization is not only concerned with dealing with the impact of the recent earthquake, but it also has a critical need for $400 million to ensure a supply of food for the approaching winter season.