Fourth Group of Afghan Refugees Set To Arrive In Germany From Pakistan

In a statement, UNICEF said the quake-hit areas are in urgent need of immediate humanitarian assistance.

The 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck early Sunday, 2 November, affecting several provinces, particularly Samangan and Balkh. According to local reports, at least 20 people have been killed and more than 900 injured so far.

The US Geological Survey’s rapid earthquake damage assessment system estimated that about 110,000 people experienced very strong shaking, while more than 1.5 million were exposed to strong tremors across northern Afghanistan.

UNICEF said it has deployed medical teams to the affected areas to provide emergency treatment, primary healthcare, psychosocial support, and counselling. The organisation also called for urgent humanitarian aid to support families who have lost their homes and livelihoods.

According to the sources, the clash erupted on Sunday, 2 November, between Darab’s men and several residents of Qunduz village in the same district. They said the commander’s son, Jamahir, initiated the fight by shooting a local resident, while others were beaten.

One source said Jamahir and his brother-in-law, Qiyam, assaulted villagers during the altercation, leaving six injured including three of them in critical condition. Images obtained by Afghanistan International show the victims with bloodstained bodies.

A resident of Qunduz village said Qiyam, the commander’s brother-in-law, has been arrested, but Jamahir and other fighters remain in the area, threatening locals not to file complaints.

Sources added that Darab Baai is also involved in gold mining operations in Badakhshan province and returned to the Qunduz area of Warsaj shortly after the incident.

The Taliban authorities in Takhar have not yet commented on the reports.

According to the commission’s statement, 6,494 Afghans crossed via Torkham, 6,800 through Spin Boldak, and 1,393 through Bahramcha.

The Taliban administration said the returnees collectively received 13.4 million Afghanis in financial assistance. Among them, 2,360 people were relocated to the provinces of Kapisa, Baghlan, Kunduz, Takhar, Balkh, Sar-e-Pul, Samangan, and Maidan Wardak.

Following recent border clashes with Taliban forces, Pakistani authorities announced plans to deport all undocumented Afghan migrants. Reports indicate that arrests and deportations have intensified across Pakistan.

On Saturday morning, Pakistan reopened the Torkham border crossing after nearly 20 days of closure exclusively for the deportation of migrants. Taliban officials earlier said hundreds of trucks carrying the belongings of displaced Afghan families were waiting to cross into Afghanistan.

According to Bakhtar, fatalities and injuries were reported across Balkh, Samangan, Sar-e-Pul, and Kunduz provinces. In Balkh alone, 12 people were killed and 407 injured, while Samangan reported 11 deaths and 270 injuries. Four deaths were also recorded in Sar-e-Pul.

The agency said at least 41 students at Kunduz University were injured while attempting to flee dormitory buildings amid panic and crowding.

Earlier, the Taliban’s Ministry of Public Health had placed the death toll at around 20.

The World Health Organization separately reported that more than 850 people had been injured in the quake and warned that the number of casualties continues to rise as rescue efforts progress.

The organisation said that, based on data it has gathered in exile, the Taliban are also to blame for the collapse of independent media in Afghanistan.

Nai called on the international community to prevent Taliban representatives, whom it described as responsible for the highest level of violence against journalists in the country’s history, from travelling freely abroad.

It urged all countries that have signed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and acceded to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to deny Taliban officials entry to their territories.

According to the statement, Taliban leaders and representatives currently travel freely across many countries in Asia, Europe, and Africa, despite several being listed under United Nations sanctions.

Journalist Mujeeb Khalwatgar said Afghan reporters face serious security threats and fear for their lives under Taliban rule.

In July, Nai said Afghanistan’s media are experiencing the worst period in their history, accusing the Taliban of systematically restricting press freedom and dismantling all previous achievements in the field.