Survivors grapple with aid cuts and Taliban a year after massive Afghan earthquake
People had just seconds to flee their homes when the terrifying sound of earth cracking open reverberated across western Afghanistan’s Herat province.
Nobody knows for sure how many people died in a 6.3 magnitude earthquake on Oct. 7, 2023, or in the strong aftershocks that followed. The Taliban government estimated that at least 4,000 perished. The U.N. gave a far lower figure of about 1,500. Survivors stopped counting, exhausted after digging through dirt to save their loved ones or bury them.
It was the deadliest natural disaster to strike Afghanistan in recent memory.
It was also another major challenge for the Taliban since they seized power in 2021, a test of their readiness to lead a country beset by economic hardship, isolation, devastation from decades of war, and vulnerability to shocks like earthquakes and climate change.
“At that time, the government really cooperated in transporting patients and the dead,” said Ismatullah Rahmani, from the quake’s epicenter in Zinda Jan district, where every home, usually built of mud and timber, was levelled. His brother and nephew were killed, and he spent hours trying to free his wife from under 1 1/2-meter (60 inches) of soil. She survived.
“They opened hospitals and provided water and food to people for free,” he told The Associated Press from his new home in Zinda Jan. He said the Taliban went to camps and helped survivors over several months, a blessing ahead of the harsh Herat winter.
“After that, our aid stopped,” said Rahmani.
Quake survivors rely on charities
Charities had stepped in to build housing for survivors. But the accommodation they built lacks walls so there is no privacy, while the poor design leaves them vulnerable to storms or heavy rainfall. Houses either have no bathrooms or the bathrooms don’t have a roof.
Rahmani’s village, Naib Rafi, still doesn’t have a health clinic or a school. Instead, children are learning in tents.
The government didn’t provide financial assistance, he said. Senior officials and Islamic scholars visited communities a few times, listened to people’s problems and left.
Ahmadullah Muttaqi, spokesman and member of the Herat Earthquake Commission, said authorities worked with charities and nongovernmental groups to provide shelter and medical assistance.
“People’s problems haven’t been solved, of course, but the first necessity is building houses until they stand on their own feet. They have been given food and hospitals are still working,” he told AP. He said they were still working to rebuild mosques, schools, madrassas and parks.
He did not answer questions about authorities’ preparedness for future disasters.
Foreign aid money is drying up
Afghans were already struggling with displacement, food insecurity and poverty before the quake struck, and the tragedy put further pressure on public services. Aid agencies, which have been propping up Afghan health care and education for the past three years under the Taliban, became even more thinly stretched.
The International Rescue Committee set up feeding corners after the earthquake so mothers could safely breastfeed children and get nutrition counselling. The relief agency said it also fixed water systems, provided emergency cash, hygiene kits, medical and mental health support to tens of thousands of people.
But, with other global crises raging, such support is finite.
International funding for Afghanistan has received less than a third of its target. Changing political priorities, economic troubles and wars are hitting donors’ pockets, especially those in the West.
Widespread opposition to the Taliban’s treatment of Afghan women and girls is also having an effect.
“There is donor fatigue, for sure, but perhaps the bigger problem is a nervousness from many donors about supporting anything but the most urgent life-saving aid,” said Mark Calder from World Vision International.
The U.N. says international recognition of the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan is nearly impossible while restrictions remain on female education and employment.
The Taliban reject this position, demanding Afghanistan’s seat at the U.N. and saying that sanctions and the country’s continued isolation are hurting people.
Investment in quality development assistance would benefit Afghan women and girls disproportionately and it’s sometimes in their name that a reduction in aid to Afghanistan is promoted, said Calder.
“It’s difficult to imagine that Afghan communities are much better prepared for natural disasters than they were a year ago,” he added.
Fears of another disaster
Herat authorities have been unable to fully meet humanitarian needs, while damaged infrastructure has hampered recovery efforts. A near-total reliance on aid organisations for basics like health care and shelter has left people exposed.
Four of Gul Ahmad Osmani’s children died in the disaster. He heard boys screaming under the soil in his village. It was impossible to pull them out, he said.
He and his surviving family members spent the winter in a tent. “The government took care of us, keeping my wife and children in a camp, but we didn’t see anything from the government that was specifically from them, like flour, cooking oil or rice,” Osmani said. “Our own people, the people of Afghanistan, brought food for several days.”
The helping hands came from other cities, districts and provinces to clear away rubble, bury the dead, and distribute everyday items like clothing.
But it’s been almost six months since NGOs or well-wishers came to help the residents of Zinda Jan. A kind doctor from northern Baghlan province donated money recently.
“There are still earthquakes and these new houses are heavy,” said Osmani. “Children are afraid. The help for the earthquake did not help us.”
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Haqjoo reported from Zinda Jan, Afghanistan.
Mob torches police outpost after 9-year-old ‘raped and murdered’
A local police camp in India was set on fire by a mob on Saturday, just hours after the alleged rape and murder of a nine-year-old girl came to light.
The girl’s family from the eastern India state of West Bengal had earlier filed a complaint with the local police station that she failed to return home following her tuition classes on Friday evening, according to news agency Press Trust of India (PTI).
The body of the nine-year-old girl from Jaynagar in the state’s South 24 Parganas district was found in a pond in the early hours of Saturday.
“She came to my shop in the local market around 5pm on her way back home from the tuition classes. But when I returned home at night, I was told that she never reached home,” the girl’s father told reporters.
“We started searching for her. Later, her body was found around one kilometre from our home,” he said, according to the Hindustan Times.
Villagers allege that the girl was raped and murdered, accusing the police of failing to act promptly on their initial complaint.
Meanwhile, when police entered the village to recover the girl’s body, they were heckled, and an angry mob ransacked a police outpost before setting it on fire. Women also took to the streets armed with brooms, and kitchen utensils.
“They also vandalised several vehicles parked outside the outpost and the policemen were forced to leave the premises,” an official told PTI.
Locals demanded action against police officers who allegedly responded late to the complaint.
A large police force was sent to the village to quell the mob of more than 200 people with tear gas shells.
Police deny allegations of negligence, saying that one person had already been arrested in connection with the case.
“So far, one person has been arrested. It remains to be seen if anyone else is involved. Efforts are underway to normalise the situation in the area. That is our priority,” a senior officer said, according to The Indian Express.
“We have identified and arrested the accused and he has confessed too. We have taken each step and acted promptly. Still, if people have allegations we will surely look into it as well,” he said.
The incident comes just weeks after a 31-year-old trainee doctor was raped and murdered at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in West Bengal’s capital city Kolkata, sparking widespread protests across the nation.
The state has witnessed thousands of protests over the last two months – some of which are still ongoing – demanding justice for the victim and safety for healthcare workers.
Screaming statue installed outside hospital where doctor was raped
A bust installed outside a state-run hospital in India where a resident doctor was raped and killed has sparked anger and shock as it depicts a woman screaming in agony, her head thrown back and eyes wide open.
Protests erupted in India after a 31-year-old trainee doctor was found dead on 9 August at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, the capital of the eastern state of West Bengal, during her 32-hour work shift. An autopsy confirmed she had been subjected to a sexual assault.
For the past two months, Kolkata has witnessed thousands of protests and walkouts demanding justice for the victim and safety for healthcare workers.
Junior doctors, who resumed their indefinite strike this month, unveiled a statue on the hospital premises in memory of the trainee doctor.
Titled Cry of the Hour, the black fibreglass bust portrays a woman screaming in anguish, and, according to the sculptor, it is intended to represent the last minutes of the victim’s life. A recording of a woman screaming plays alongside the sculpture.
The statue was unveiled on Mahalaya, the day that marks the beginning of the 10-day Hindu festival of Durga Puja in West Bengal.
“The statue was my way of protesting,” said sculptor Asit Sain.
While some people praised the artwork, many criticised it as “insensitive” and “disturbing” for immortalising the victim’s pain.
Following the backlash, the junior doctors clarified that the statue was not of the victim but instead was a symbol of the “pain and torture she went through and the ongoing protests”.
The identities of victims and survivors of sexual violence are protected by Indian law, a fact that has been highlighted repeatedly by the Supreme Court bench hearing the case.
Users of social media did not hold back in their disapproval of the installation. “Heights of insensitivity. This is over-empathising to the point of mockery. So not needed,” wrote Twitter/X user Devlina Ganguly.
Kunal Ghosh, a former lawmaker and a member of the ruling party in West Bengal, joined the debate, posting on X that “no responsible person can do that. Not even in the name of art.”
He continued: “There will be protests and demands for justice. But the statue is not right with the face of the girl in pain.”
A junior doctor who was a colleague of the murdered doctor said that the unveiling of the statue was an “emotional moment”.
“We have been fighting for her. She is in our heart, but this installation will ensure no one ever forgets her,” the doctor told The Indian Express.
Thousands of doctors and Kolkata residents took to the streets in protest on Wednesday, demanding justice and the fulfilment of their demands relating to workplace safety.
Floods inundate Thailand’s northern tourist city of Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai, Thailand‘s northern city popular with tourists, was inundated by widespread flooding Saturday as its main river overflowed its banks following heavy seasonal rainfall.
Authorities ordered some evacuations and said they were working to pump water out of residential areas and clear obstructions from waterways and drains to help water recede faster.
Dozens of shelters were set up across the city to accommodate residents whose home were flooded. The Chiang Mai city government said the water level of the Ping River, which runs along the eastern edge of the city, was at critically high levels and was rising since Friday.
However, the provincial irrigation office on Saturday forecast that the water level was likely to remain stable and recede to normal in about five days.
Thai media reported that efforts to evacuate elephants and other animals from several sanctuaries and parks on the outskirts of the city were continuing Saturday. About 125 elephants along with other animals were taken to safety from the Elephant Nature Park, from where some escaped on their own to seek higher ground. About 10 animal shelters in the area have been flooded.
Chiang Mai Gov. Nirat Pongsitthavorn said that the latest flooding, the second in six weeks, exceeded expectations.
Thailand’s state railway suspended service to Chiang Mai, with trains on the northern line from Bangkok terminating at Lampang, about 1 1/2 hours ride to the south. Chiang Mai International Airport said it was operating as usual on Saturday.
Flooding was reported in 20 Thai provinces on Saturday, mostly in the north. At least 49 people have died and 28 were injured in floods since August, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation said.
In the Thai capital Bangkok, the government said Saturday it will let more water flow out of the Chao Phraya Dam in the central province of Chai Nat over the next seven days, as it risks exceeding it capacity. The release of the water may affect residents downstream who live near waterways in Thailand’s central region, including Bangkok and surrounding areas.
Australian woman accused of dismembering husband in ‘bizarre’ murder
A Sydney woman has been charged with the murder and dismemberment of her husband 18 months after he was last seen, in what police have described as one of the most “bizarre” cases they’ve ever encountered.
Police deemed the man’s disappearance “suspicious”, and after extensive investigations by a special homicide squad, they arrested a 53-year-old woman, Nirmeen Noufl — the wife of the missing man, Mamdouh Noufl — on Thursday, the New South Wales police said.
Police officers were initially called to a home in Greenacre in Sydney last year in June to investigate the case of a 62-year-old man who had not been seen since May 2023.
Detectives allege the woman killed her husband before dismembering his body using knives and a power saw, disposing of the remains in bins across the neighbourhood.
“The murder is brutal, but it’s also macabre and bizarre. The way, the manner, the nature and the disposal of the body,” homicide squad detective Danny Doherty told Sydney Morning Herald.
Detectives arrested her at a hospital in Bankstown where she had admitted herself. At the same time, with assistance from specialist officers, detectives executed a crime scene warrant.
“It’s right up there with one of the most bizarre manners [of death],” Mr Doherty said.
No remains have been discovered, and Mr Doherty does not anticipate any will be found in the future given the manner of their alleged disposal.
Police further alleged that Noufl accessed her husband’s bank accounts and social media to create a “ruse” implying he was still alive, a deception that ended once he was officially reported missing in July.
“His family friends were concerned in relation to his whereabouts – they thought he was travelling overseas but he couldn’t be reached. His family in Egypt were also unable to locate him,” Mr Doherty said.
Further investigation is underway.
Police allege the woman had “a lot of unexplained wealth”.
They claim there was an “extensive clean-up” and “reflooring” of the couple’s home where they had lived together for 10 years.
“We will allege in court she is solely responsible for his murder, dismemberment and disposal,” Mr Doherty said.
“[She benefited] financially and [obtained] a significant benefit through the properties sold,” he added.
The couple have eight children.
“I feel very sorry for [Mr Noufl], I’m really shocked…I can’t believe he ended up like that,” one neighbour told ABC News.
The 53-year-old was denied bail and is scheduled to appear in court again on 11 December.
Indian government argues against classifying marital rape as ‘rape’
The Indian government has opposed calls to classify non-consensual sexual acts committed by a husband against his wife as “rape”, saying that to do so could have an impact on conjugal relationships and disturb the institution of marriage.
In its submission to the Supreme Court, the Ministry of Home Affairs said that while a husband does not have the right to violate his wife’s consent, labelling such an act “rape” would be “excessively harsh and therefore disproportionate”.
This marks the first time that the federal Narendra Modi government has officially opposed calls to abolish the marital rape exception within Indian law.
The submission was made in response to a batch of petitions put before the Supreme Court, which seek the removal of an exception in the country’s penal code that states that a sexual act by a man with his own wife, as long as the wife is not under 18 years of age, is not rape.
In a 40-page affidavit, the federal government stated that “a husband certainly does not have any fundamental right to violate the consent of the wife”, but emphasised that classifying such a violation as rape could be seen as overly severe. The document cited the need to take a balanced approach to take into account fundamental rights within the context of marriage.
“The central government asserts that [the requirement for] a woman’s consent is not obliterated by marriage, and its violation should result in penal consequences,” submitted the ministry. “However, the consequences of such violations within marriage differ from those outside it.”
The statement comes after the government previously indicated in 2022, during a hearing at the High Court in Delhi, that the matter required further consultation and that a review of criminal laws was underway.
At the time, solicitor general Tushar Mehta submitted that the government did not wish to take a definitive stance, preferring to engage in consultations before proceeding. This invoked a sharp response from the High Court, which delivered a split verdict, with the court remarking that the arguments would have been “richer” had Mr Mehta assisted the court.
A comprehensive document issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs recognised that marital rape should be deemed illegal and subject to criminal consequences.
However, it conceded that each party in a marriage has the right to privacy and dignity, adding that invoking a charge of rape “would necessarily entail consequences” that do not reflect the nuanced reality of the matrimonial relationship, reported the Hindustan Times.
The government also argued that labelling marital rape as rape could disrupt the conjugal relationship and the institution of marriage.
The affidavit said that there exists an expectation of reasonable sexual access between spouses, but that this does not justify coercion. However, it added that “these obligations, expectations and considerations … are completely absent in the case of a stranger”, and thus that the legislation should “distinguish qualitatively between an incident of non-consensual sex within the marital sphere and without it”.
It added that the government had chosen to retain the marital rape exception despite recommendations by a different government committee, “appreciating the subtlety and complexity of consent within marriage”.
The affidavit cited socio-economic and cultural factors as being among the reasons for the decision, saying that the courts must account for diversity. It also raised concerns about the potential misuse of marital rape laws.
Seeking judicial restraint, it said that the issue for consideration in the current batch of petitions is a “social issue rather than a legal issue, therefore it is submitted that the same cannot be decided without proper consultation with all the stakeholders, or taking the views of all the states into consideration”.
Taiwan deports Chinese couple who disrupted pro-democracy event
Taiwan deported a Chinese couple who illegally entered the island from mainland China and allegedly disrupted a pro-democracy protest in Taipei.
Taiwan’s government said on Thursday that it has revoked the visas of the Chinese couple after they harassed people during a protest held by Hong Kong exiles in Taipei on China’s National Day.
The Hong Kong Outlanders group alleged that the protesters were verbally harassed and pushed around by a group of Chinese people in Taipei’s Ximending district.
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, which handles cross-strait affairs, said the couple engaged in “misconduct that violates the principle of reciprocal dignity”.
“The government will take immediate action against mainland Chinese who come to Taiwan for illegal behaviour such as endangering national security and social stability,” the government body said. “They will not be allowed to intrude into Taiwan.”
The National Immigration Agency (NIA) of the island said the pair had violated the Regulations Governing the Approval of Entry of People of the Mainland Area into Taiwan Area.
The Chinese nationals applied for temporary entry permits for visiting family members living in Taiwan. However, the NIA said the family they intended to visit had already returned to China in July and they were aware of it.
The Mainland Affairs Council condemned the couple for “abusing” the system.
The protest was planned for China’s National Day on Tuesday when the Chinese Communist Party marked 75th anniversy of communist China.
Chinese president Xi Jinping reiterated his pledge to achieve “reunification” with Taiwan on the eve of the national day.
China claims self-ruled Taiwan as its own despite never having controlled it and has vowed to reunify it with the mainland, even by force if required.
As Beijing intensified its crackdown on pro-democracy figures in Hong Kong, Taiwan has become home to a large diaspora from the city since the 2019 unrest and the ensuing crackdown on political dissent.
The videos shared by Hong Kong Outlanders on Facebook showed a man attempting to take down the flag which bore the popular protest slogan “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times”.
The man was filmed saying in Mandarin that he would not allow such a flag to be hoisted on the National Day of China.
“Today is the National Day of China and I would not allow such a flag here,” he said. “Taiwan and Hong Kong are parts of China!”
The police intervened and led him away as things turned heated.
Thailand rejects criticism over Moo Deng’s ‘lifetime of confinement’
Thailand has hit back at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) after it claimed that a baby pigmy hippopotamus, who has become famous because of her playful nature, would be subjected to a “lifetime” of “confinement”.
Moo Deng, which translates to bouncy pork in Thai, was born in confinement at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi in July. She became the internet’s latest obsession after the zoo posted videos and photos online of her splashing about in the water and playfully biting the keeper.
Moo Deng‘s popularity has drawn visitors from near and far, with some hopping on an 18-hour flight from the US to see the internet celebrity in person. The pit where Moo Deng lives with her mother, Jona, has been packed since, prompting zoo officials to limit viewing time to five minutes per visitor and launch a 24-hour live stream.
Businesses quickly capitalised on her popularity, using her image to sell makeup, souvenirs and footwear. The zoo has earned 19.2m baht (£445,712) between 1 and 25 September from selling tickets, according to reports.
Peta criticised the zoo for allegedly depriving Moo Deng of her natural right to freedom. “There’s nothing cute about a baby being born in captivity,” said the group’s senior vice president Jason Baker.
“Hippos belong in the wild, but Moo Deng will never live outside a cage. She faces a lifetime of confinement …,” he added.
The pygmy hippo, native to West Africa, is an endangered species, with only 2,000-2,500 adults left, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Their numbers are decreasing due to hunting for bushmeat and habitat destruction.
“Animals do not exist for our entertainment. Breeding them for public display perpetuates their suffering,” Mr Baker said, calling for prioritising conservation efforts that protect animals in nature.
Zoo director Narongwit Chodchoi rejected the allegations, saying the facility cares for over 2,000 animals, including Moo Deng, and ensures their welfare and quality of life. The zoo has limited visitor numbers to 30 to 50 people per round to avoid overcrowding, he told local reporters.
The Thai Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (TSPCA) similarly hit back at Peta for using “outdated” and “inaccurate information”.
Sathit Pratchaya-ariyakun, Secretary of the TSPCA, said Peta’s assessment of Moo Deng was based on “incomplete” information. He pointed to a previous Peta boycott campaign in 2020 which exposed the usage of pigtailed macaques by farms to pick coconuts.
He said Thailand’s coconut industry suffered greatly after British retailers removed coconut products from their shelves.
Mr Sathit said some of Peta’s information was valid but stressed certain details came from only one side of the story, according to the Thaiger newspaper. He reassured Moo Deng was well taken care of at par with international standards.
The Khao Kheow Open Zoo previously faced backlash in 2021 for its elephant swimming shows. It featured performances where elephants swam, danced, and performed tricks while visitors watched through a glass enclosure. The zoo defended the shows, despite social media outrage calling it an example of animal cruelty.
Some social media users criticised Peta’s comments, accusing the US-based group of making Thailand “look bad”.
“So, does that mean animals in zoos all over the world should be released,” asked a Facebook user.
Others sided with Peta for “bothering” Moo Deng constantly to get content for social media.
Peta responded to the backlash, saying they “speak up for all animals”.
“We have been campaigning in Thailand and around Asia for decades, doing undercover investigations and speaking up for those in cages.”