Mohibullah Haidari, head of the Kunar provincial education department, says that following the recent deadly earthquake, 391 students have lost their lives, 760 others have been injured, and more than 157,000 students in the quake-affected areas have been deprived of education.
Speaking to TOLOnews, Haidari stated: “Across Kunar, 157,074 students are currently deprived of education. In the earthquake, 391 students and three teachers lost their lives, while 760 students and 20 teachers were injured.”
He emphasized that in Kunar, as in other warmer provinces, the academic year starts on September 6 (15th of Sunbula), but thousands of students in the quake-affected areas have been left without schooling.
Students deprived of education are calling on officials and aid organizations to provide the means for them to continue their studies.
Some students said: “The earthquake completely destroyed our school. We are very sad because there is no school here where we can study. Schools in other villages have also been destroyed, and we have been forced to come to camps.”
Students have called for the establishment of mobile schools and urged aid organizations and the government to prioritize education in their relief efforts.
According to the Kunar provincial education department, 53 schools were completely destroyed and another 253 were partially damaged as a result of the quake.
The 6-magnitude earthquake on Sunday night, which struck eastern parts of the country, caused the most casualties and destruction in Kunar province.
According to figures from the caretaker government, 2,205 people were killed and 3,640 others were injured in Kunar alone.
Government officials also announced that 6,782 houses were destroyed in the province as a result of the earthquake.
