The stark number of dead and injured from this week’s two 6.3-magnitude earthquakes in north-west Afghanistan’s Herat province leaves us with just a glimpse of the latest tragedy that has befallen the Afghan people. It is the grim particulars of families torn apart, buildings reduced to rubble and people’s struggle to survive that reflects the true scale of the devastation.
In Zinda Jan district, 40km from Herat city and one of the worst-hit areas, survivors and volunteers told The National they were using bulldozers to hollow out the earth and bury hundreds of victims. Madina Jamil, a resident of Herat city who is volunteering in Zinda Jan, said entire families perished and, in some cases, “10 or even 15 members of one family were found dead”.
“It is a tragic sight to pull out people from under the rubble and then bury them again," Mr Jamil added.
Reports suggest anywhere between 1,000 to 2,000 people may have died in the quakes and subsequent aftershocks although much remains unknown about the full extent of the devastation and death toll, because the country’s Taliban rulers are unlikely to have comprehensive population records for the area. What can be surmised however, is that this kind of disaster is a distressing reminder of the urgent need to find an effective political, operational and financial understanding with Afghanistan’s current administration.
Although several countries are supplying aid – including the UAE, which on Tuesday sent a plane carrying 33 tonnes of urgent food supplies – Afghanistan’s continuing international isolation and the withholding of billions of dollars’ worth of state funds arguably leaves the poverty-stricken population more vulnerable than it needs to be. Similarly, the Taliban’s often-testy relationship with many international NGOs has also left people to the mercy of natural disasters – and Afghanistan is certainly no stranger to earthquakes.
As well as the immediate destruction and loss of life this week, such disasters also fuel Afghanistan’s migration crisis, which is being exacerbated by neighbouring Pakistan’s deadline for undocumented Afghan refugees to leave by the end of the month. Many breadwinners will have perished in the earthquakes, posing a long-term problem for many families.
As we have seen with similarly devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, it will take years to rebuild and for a war-torn country such as Afghanistan that lacks major international donor support, the suffering will be unnecessarily dragged out. Winter is approaching and displaced families will need food and shelter – who is going to pay for and supply it? Sadly, there has been a relative lack of international financial support so far, although China is reported to have donated $200,000 through Afghanistan’s foreign ministry.
The timing of the deadly earthquakes coincides with the Israel-Gaza war, meaning Afghanistan is once again not getting the attention it deserves. However, the earthquakes are a brutal reminder of the human cost of unimaginative diplomacy, obstinate governance and a failure to embrace pragmatism. The Taliban needs to work better and more closely with NGOs offering help. Similarly, potential donor countries need to come up with more creative ways of supporting Afghanistan’s people, not just in times of crisis, such as this one, but in the years ahead.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
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Landfill in numbers
• Landfill gas is composed of 50 per cent methane
• Methane is 28 times more harmful than Co2 in terms of global warming
• 11 million total tonnes of waste are being generated annually in Abu Dhabi
• 18,000 tonnes per year of hazardous and medical waste is produced in Abu Dhabi emirate per year
• 20,000 litres of cooking oil produced in Abu Dhabi’s cafeterias and restaurants every day is thrown away
• 50 per cent of Abu Dhabi’s waste is from construction and demolition
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo 4-cyl
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Power: 190bhp
Torque: 300Nm
Price: Dh169,900
On sale: now
How to become a Boglehead
Bogleheads follow simple investing philosophies to build their wealth and live better lives. Just follow these steps.
• Spend less than you earn and save the rest. You can do this by earning more, or being frugal. Better still, do both.
• Invest early, invest often. It takes time to grow your wealth on the stock market. The sooner you begin, the better.
• Choose the right level of risk. Don't gamble by investing in get-rich-quick schemes or high-risk plays. Don't play it too safe, either, by leaving long-term savings in cash.
• Diversify. Do not keep all your eggs in one basket. Spread your money between different companies, sectors, markets and asset classes such as bonds and property.
• Keep charges low. The biggest drag on investment performance is all the charges you pay to advisers and active fund managers.
• Keep it simple. Complexity is your enemy. You can build a balanced, diversified portfolio with just a handful of ETFs.
• Forget timing the market. Nobody knows where share prices will go next, so don't try to second-guess them.
• Stick with it. Do not sell up in a market crash. Use the opportunity to invest more at the lower price.
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Teachers' pay - what you need to know
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
Results
1.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh50,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner Al Suhooj, Saif Al Balushi (jockey), Khalifa Al Neyadi (trainer)
2pm Handicap (TB) 68,000 (D) 1,950m
Winner Miracle Maker, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer
2.30pm Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Mazagran, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
3pm Handicap (TB) Dh84,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner Tailor’s Row, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
3.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh76,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner Alla Mahlak, Adrie de Vries, Rashed Bouresly
4pm Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner Hurry Up, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
4.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh68,000 (D) 1,200m
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
The low down
Producers: Uniglobe Entertainment & Vision Films
Director: Namrata Singh Gujral
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Nargis Fakhri, Bo Derek, Candy Clark
Rating: 2/5
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Trolls World Tour
Directed by: Walt Dohrn, David Smith
Starring: Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake
Rating: 4 stars
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
