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STORY: UN / AFGHANISTAN EARTHQUAKE UPDATE
TRT: 03:16
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 02 SEPTEMBER 2025, NEW YORK CITY
FILE - NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, UN Headquarters
02 SEPTEMBER 2025, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, UN spokesperson, journalists, press room
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, United Nations:
“We issued a statement in which the Secretary-General said that he is deeply saddened by the devastating loss of life caused by Sunday's earthquake in eastern Nangarhar Province in Afghanistan. He expressed his solidarity with the people of Afghanistan, extended his sincere condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to those injured. He also said that the UN in Afghanistan will spare no efforts to assist people but noted that current humanitarian funding is insufficient to address the needs. He called for additional resources to be urgently dispatched to respond to the tragedy and crisis at hand.”
3. Med shot, journalists
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, United Nations:
“On the ground, our humanitarian colleagues tell us that preliminary reports from de facto authorities now indicate that at least 1,400 people have been killed and more than 3,100 injured. Casualty figures are expected to rise further as search and rescue teams reach affected areas. We have dispatched at least 25 assessment teams to the region to assess the situation, and we are already supporting the response by deploying critical items to areas that can be reached.”
5. Wide shot, journalists
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, United Nations:
“For example, our colleagues at UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, are deploying prepositioned essential relief items from stockpiles in Kabul, including tents, that also include blankets and solar lamps. Our humanitarian colleagues note that immediate priority needs include emergency shelter, critical medical supplies, drinking water and emergency food assistance. The de facto authorities have launched an immediate response, flying hundreds of medivac cases to regional hospitals for care and clearing blocked roads.”
7. Wide shot, journalists
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, United Nations:
“Our humanitarian partners are also seeking ways to mobilize additional air assets to reach those in need. Shelter materials and medical supplies are running low, and the current funding is insufficient to address all needs, as we have been saying. Our Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher called for the international community's support to scale up emergency relief efforts. We and our partners are developing an emergency appeal, and we will keep you posted.”
9. Wide shot, UN spokesperson, journalists
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, United Nations:
“Yesterday, the Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator Joyce Msuya released $5 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to help kickstart our response, and that will be matched by a $5 million from the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund. Our humanitarian colleagues note that the earthquake has added death and destruction to a country already facing multiple crises, including a severe drought and the return of millions of Afghans from neighbouring countries. Our UNHCR colleagues also report that a number of the victims had recently returned from Pakistan, from where they have been forcibly returned to Afghanistan.”
10. Wide shot, UN spokesperson, journalists
Preliminary reports from de facto authorities in Afghanistan indicate that at least 1,400 people have been killed and more than 3,100 injured, a UN spokesperson said.
Addressing the press today (02 Sep), Stéphane Dujarric, UN Spokesperson said, “We issued a statement in which the Secretary-General said that he is deeply saddened by the devastating loss of life caused by Sunday's earthquake in eastern Nangarhar Province in Afghanistan. He expressed his solidarity with the people of Afghanistan, extended his sincere condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to those injured. He also said that the UN in Afghanistan will spare no efforts to assist people but noted that current humanitarian funding is insufficient to address the needs. He called for additional resources to be urgently dispatched to respond to the tragedy and crisis at hand.”
He also said, “On the ground, our humanitarian colleagues tell us that preliminary reports from de facto authorities now indicate that at least 1,400 people have been killed and more than 3,100 injured. Casualty figures are expected to rise further as search and rescue teams reach affected areas. We have dispatched at least 25 assessment teams to the region to assess the situation, and we are already supporting the response by deploying critical items to areas that can be reached.”
He continued, “For example, our colleagues at UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, are deploying prepositioned essential relief items from stockpiles in Kabul, including tents, that also include blankets and solar lamps. Our humanitarian colleagues note that immediate priority needs include emergency shelter, critical medical supplies, drinking water and emergency food assistance. The de facto authorities have launched an immediate response, flying hundreds of medivac cases to regional hospitals for care and clearing blocked roads.”
He added, “Our humanitarian partners are also seeking ways to mobilize additional air assets to reach those in need. Shelter materials and medical supplies are running low, and the current funding is insufficient to address all needs, as we have been saying. Our Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher called for the international community's support to scale up emergency relief efforts. We and our partners are developing an emergency appeal, and we will keep you posted.”
He concluded, “Yesterday, the Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator Joyce Msuya released $5 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to help kickstart our response, and that will be matched by a $5 million from the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund. Our humanitarian colleagues note that the earthquake has added death and destruction to a country already facing multiple crises, including a severe drought and the return of millions of Afghans from neighbouring countries. Our UNHCR colleagues also report that a number of the victims had recently returned from Pakistan, from where they have been forcibly returned to Afghanistan.”
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