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UN teams respond to deadly earthquake in western Nepal
UN teams respond to deadly earthquake in western Nepal
The United Nations says its teams in Nepal are responding to the devastating earthquake in the west of the country, amid reports that over 150 people have been killed and hundreds more injured.
The powerful 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck the remote and rural districts of Rukum (West) and Jajarkot shortly before midnight on Friday (local time) as families slept in their mostly mud-brick homes, trapping many under the rubble.
Several aftershocks have since been reported.
The shaking was also felt in the capital, Kathmandu, about 510 kilometres (about 315 miles) away. People ran out of their homes, with memories of the deadly April-May 2015 earthquakes still fresh in their minds.
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The 2015 quakes claimed nearly 9,000 lives, destroyed or severely damaged over 500,000 homes, and reduced towns, schools, hospitals and centuries-old historic sites to rubble.
Ms Alice Akunga, UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Representative to Nepal, said that children and their families are most at risk, having lost their homes, schools and health centres.
Estimates indicate that thousands of school aged children live in the affected areas and will be impacted.
“The full extent of the damage will unfold in the coming days and sadly the numbers of those affected are likely to grow,” she said in a statement.
According to her, UNICEF teams are on the ground, assessing the impact and providing urgent assistance, including blankets and tarpaulins.
“We are gauging the support they require at this crucial juncture in the areas of health, nutrition, education, water, sanitation and hygiene, child protection and social protection.’’
Other UN agencies have also stepped up their response. The World Health Organisation (WHO) is mobilising medical teams and the UN Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) has been activated to conduct remote damage assessment via satellite image analysis.
According to the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), access to Jajarkot is reportedly obstructed by landslides triggered by the earthquake. Efforts are ongoing to reopen the road.
Most of the damage so far has been reported in Jajarkot and Rukum (West). The Government has deployed army helicopters for search and rescue, and dispatched additional medical personnel to regional and field hospitals.
Immediate needs include medical support, trauma response, extracting people trapped beneath the rubble and the evacuation of affected people to safer locations. The imminent winter has underscored the critical need for warm clothes and shelter, healthcare and food.
This is the largest earthquake to impact Nepal since the 7.3 magnitude earthquake in 2015, and it is the latest in a series of earthquakes to hit western Nepal in the past year.
“The impact of this latest earthquake is thus compounding the difficulties and vulnerabilities of communities still recovering from previous shocks in areas where low socio-economic indicators and stretched coping mechanisms were already prevalent,” OCHA said.
UN teams respond to deadly earthquake in western Nepal
Putin Signs Decree to Boost Russian Armed Forces Personnel by 180,000
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree to increase the staffing levels of the country’s armed forces, raising the total number of personnel to 2.38 million, including 1.5 million military personnel. The decree, published on the government portal, represents an increase of 180,000 personnel across the Russian armed forces.
The new staffing levels, set to take effect on December 1, 2024, reflect Russia’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its military amid global tensions and geopolitical challenges. This adjustment marks a rise from the previous staffing levels of 2.2 million, which included 1.32 million military personnel.
The decree is part of a broader strategy to enhance the country’s defense capabilities as Russia continues to prioritize military readiness.
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Authorities in Pakistan have arrested several prominent lawmakers and leaders from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the political party of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Party officials confirmed the arrests on Tuesday following a series of late-night raids in Islamabad. While a police spokesperson stated that four individuals were detained, PTI officials claim that 13 members were arrested from various locations, including outside the parliament.
The arrests come in the aftermath of a large PTI rally held on Sunday, calling for the release of the 71-year-old former cricketer-turned-politician, who has been in jail for over a year. Among those arrested was PTI president Gohar Khan. The crackdown reflects ongoing tensions since Khan’s ousting as prime minister in 2022, following a fallout with military leaders, who often hold significant influence in Pakistan’s political landscape.
Footage broadcasted by local media showed police officers forcibly detaining lawmakers outside parliament, prompting condemnation from opposition leaders. Omar Ayub Khan, a senior opposition figure, described the arrests as “despicable,” while PTI spokesperson Zulfikar Bukhari denounced the detentions as illegal in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Bukhari further reported that senior PTI members Shoaib Shaheen and Sher Afzal Marwat were also among those taken into custody. Despite a strong showing in February’s general election, where PTI-backed candidates secured the most seats, the party was unable to form a government due to a coalition led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
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The Iraqi Oil Ministry has strongly refuted allegations made by several U.S. Congress members, who claimed that Iraq is smuggling oil to Iran to help the country bypass U.S. sanctions. The ministry labeled these accusations as “fabrications with no foundation.”
The rebuttal comes in response to a letter reportedly sent by five U.S. lawmakers to President Joe Biden, accusing Iraqi officials, including Oil Minister Hayan Abdul Ghani, of facilitating illegal oil sales to Iran. The letter further urged Biden to block Ghani’s planned visit to Washington until an investigation into the matter is completed.
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