Brussels, 26/03/2002 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has announced that its Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO) is closely monitoring the situation in North-East Afghanistan, after the earthquake that hit the region of Hindu Kush. First aid, in the form of 500 tents and a thousand blankets, was provided by the French NGO, ACTED, one of ECHO's partners in this area. This NGO was to provide another batch of 1500 tents and as many temporary shelters (in kits), that were stocked in Shomali, north-east of Kabul. The population of the region affected by the earthquake is around 80,000, of whom 20,000 live in the town of Nahrin. According to a first estimate, the earthquake has caused over 1200 deaths with a further 1500 injured.
On Tuesday evening, the Commission is expected to take a decision concerning emergency aid totalling around EUR 2 million.