Residents of the southeastern province of Paktika who were affected in the recent earthquake are seeking to rebuild their houses which were destroyed.

They also expressed concern that they have not received any aid and that their children are living in open areas.

“Our house is destroyed. My children and the women are with me here. We don’t have a home or tent. We don’t have access to health facilities,” said Mina Gul, a resident.

They called on the Islamic Emirate to help the residents rebuild their houses which were destroyed in the earthquake.

“When the earthquake happened, the roof collapsed on me and I was deep in the wreckage and only my head was out of the wreckage,” said Rasul Jan, a resident.

“We call on the international community to construct a school for us. We don’t have schools and hospitals. We urge them to provide all these things for us,” said Fazal Ghani, a resident.

The acting Minister of Refugee and Repatriation, Khalil Rahman Haqqani, said that the aid provided for the vulnerable is not sufficient.

“This was a devastating incident that impacted thousands of people. Thousands of houses were destroyed. We say thanks for the aid provided by the international organizations but we call for further aid. This is not sufficient. We should be supported in rebuilding the infrastructure of this area,” he said.