Another earthquake in eastern Afghanistan injures 10 people

Afghanistan's Taliban government has confirmed that at least 10 people were injured after an earthquake struck the country's eastern Gayan district in Paktika province.

Abdul Wahid Rayan, director of Bakhtar, the Taliban's news agency, said the quake in the remote area happened late Monday afternoon.

On Monday, the US Geological Survey reported a magnitude 5.1 quake near Khost.

Update: Earthquakes have been felt in some areas of Paktika, Paktia, Khost and Nangarhar. There were also reports of people being injured in the Guyana earthquake; But official sources have not confirmed it.#AfghanistanEarthquake pic.twitter.com/CayRjSQ94b

— Saeedullah Safi (@SaeedullahSafi7) July 18, 2022

Monday’s quake happened in the same area as a powerful quake last month in eastern Afghanistan, igniting yet another crisis for the struggling country and further underscoring the Taliban’s limited capabilities and isolation. The Taliban reported 1,150 dead in that quake. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs put the death toll at 770 people.

Overstretched aid groups already keeping millions of Afghans alive had rushed supplies to victims of the June quake, but most countries responded tepidly to Taliban calls for international help.

The international cut-off of Afghanistan’s financing has deepened the country’s economic collapse and fueled its humanitarian crises.