World Health Organization Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean | WHO polio workers reflect on their role in responding to the 2022 Afghanistan earthquake | News

10 June 2024 – When a 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck southeastern Afghanistan in the early hours of 22 June 2022, polio workers at the World Health Organization were among the first to respond. As dawn broke in Khost and Paktika provinces, and the extent of the devastation became clear, they helped treat many of the wounded.

WHO polio teams dressed wounds, provided wound care and generally provided a helping hand where needed. This included digging for survivors, setting up tents, unloading trucks, and distributing shipments of WHO emergency and surgical kits, medical supplies and equipment. Polio control workers also took part in the heartbreaking task of preparing the dead for burial.

Here they reflect on their experiences.

Mr. Najibullah, Polio Control Officer, Jayan District, Paktika

My name is Najibullah, and I am the polio control officer in Jayan District, Paktika Province. When the earthquake hit Jaén, I was sleeping at home. I woke up because the house was shaking and dust was falling on me. It was pitch dark and I didn't know what happened until I heard people screaming.

The phones were still working, so I called our regional polio officer and told him what had happened. I was the first person to report the earthquake in Jaén. After finishing my call, I ran to help rescue the injured.

It was dark but I could see houses destroyed and hear people screaming and crying. We used any vehicle available to transport the injured to the nearest clinic to provide first aid. But there were many wounded and the clinic was 4 kilometers away, so we set up a temporary clinic in the village. Our polio staff, who live across the region, came to help. We used a tent, beds and chairs from people's homes, and by late morning we had built a small makeshift clinic.

I have worked on the polio eradication program in Jaén for 20 years. Over the next five days, I used my local knowledge to help guide partners and other agencies, directing them to the most affected areas. I accompanied UN partners to every village – anywhere people needed help and medical services – and used my knowledge of the region to help map the UN-wide response.

In Jaén County, we have 11 villages, and more than 19,000 people were affected by the earthquake. It was difficult to move from one village to another because the unpaved roads were severely damaged by the earthquake.

In such a devastating time of need, I did everything I could to help my people, day and night. I remember helping to rescue livestock trapped under the rubble.

We used a tent, beds and chairs from people's homes, and by late morning we had built a small makeshift clinic.

Dr. Gul Muhammad Marufkhil, Polio Eradication Program Coordinator, Paktika

>My name is Dr. Gul Muhammad Maruf Khil, and I am the polio program coordinator in Paktika Province. I was in Charan district, about 80 kilometers from Jaén, when the earthquake struck.

When Mr. Najibullah called me to tell me what had happened in Jaén, I immediately contacted the WHO field office in Gardez. It was midnight, but I organized an emergency meeting with all our local partners to start responding to the earthquake. We requested that medical kits, food and tents be sent to the affected area as soon as possible.

I was tasked with liaising, coordinating and arranging aid packages for communities affected by the earthquake. My job was to collect information about the number of wounded, injuries and the level of damage to buildings and infrastructure and share this information with our partners.

In the morning, equipment including medical equipment, food parcels and tents began arriving from Gardez, Ghazni, Kabul and Khost. I worked with our teams to transport and distribute these materials in the Barmal and Jayan regions.

I am very proud of all our work during this difficult time. We have done everything we can to make sure we provide support and assistance to our communities.

We have done everything we can to make sure we provide support and assistance to our communities.

Dr. Sultan Ahmed, Regional Polio Officer, Paktika

My name is Dr. Sultan Ahmed, and I work as the Provincial Polio Officer in Paktika Province. I was in Orgun, a district neighboring Jaén, when the earthquake happened. The vibrations woke me up, but there was no destruction nearby.

After Mr. Najibullah called me and told me what happened in Jaen, I immediately went to the district hospital and informed the doctors and other staff to prepare to receive the injured. It then sent a team of doctors, nurses and 7 ambulances to Jaén as well as to the Bermal district, which also suffered severe damage.

As the sun rose, more ambulances and medical teams arrived in Orgun. I managed the flow of casualties to ensure that those who could be treated in Orgun were transferred there and the seriously wounded were transferred to Gardez or Kabul for further treatment. When medicines and medical supplies began to arrive, I coordinated their distribution to area clinics where the wounded were being treated.

Many people were injured as a result of the earthquake, and I am very proud of my role in organizing teams and helping to save lives.

I managed the flow of casualties to ensure that those who could be treated in Orgun got there and the seriously wounded were transferred to Gardez or Kabul.

Mr. Jan Muhammad, Polio District Officer, Bayramal District, Paktika

My name is Jan Muhammad, and I am the polio control officer in Bermal District, Paktika Province. I was in Bermal when the earthquake happened. I felt the earthquake. It was very powerful, so I knew people would be affected. I immediately mobilized local polio workers to travel with me to the affected area and help survivors.

It took us about 5 hours to drive there. When we arrived, we saw buildings collapsed and people trapped. We jumped out of the car and started digging through the rubble to pull out people trapped under their damaged homes. About 9,000 people live in the area but there are no clinics and no doctors, so we provided basic first aid to those in need. With the establishment of temporary clinics and the arrival of mobile health teams, our team facilitated the process of transporting injured people to the clinics.

I worked with other UN agencies, using my local knowledge to help guide them to the locations of communities where there might be more infected people. It also provided advice on where to set up temporary clinics and food parcel distribution points to reach as many people as possible.

I am so proud of everything my team has done to help the people of my district at such a critical time.

About 9,000 people live in the area but there are no clinics and no doctors, so we provided basic first aid to those in need.

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