MOSCOW, February 7. /TASS/. The Foreign Ministry of the Taliban (banned in Russia), a radical group that seized power in Afghanistan, announced it will send aid to help the victims of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria, Afghanistan’s Ariana News television channel reported on Tuesday.
The Taliban "allocated 15 mln afghanis (about $166,000 according to the exchange rate set by the Afghan central bank - TASS) as humanitarian aid to the victims in Turkey and Syria," according to the report.
The report said Afghan doctors and rescuers were ready to help the countries to deal with the aftermath of the disaster.
A magnitude 7.7 earthquake hit southeastern Turkey on Monday. The tremors and the nearly 300 aftershocks that followed were felt across 10 provinces of the country and in neighboring countries including Syria. According to the latest data, more than 3,500 people were killed in Turkey and more than 20,000 sustained injuries. In Syria, more than 800 people were killed and more than 1,400 injured.
The Taliban movement established control over Afghanistan after US pulled out its forces from the country in 2021. On August 15, the radicals entered Kabul without a fight, and then established and interim government, which has not yet been recognized by any country.
Even as the Taliban is making efforts to improve the economic situation in the country, it remains extremely difficult. According to the UN, 22.8 million Afghans have insufficient food, and 8.7 million people are starving. That’s largely because radicals have access to only 0.1% of the country’s financial reserves (out of the total of $9.4 billion), as a significant portion of them has been frozen by the US.