Geyan district of the Southeastern Province of Paktika, which was hit by an earthquake last year the people’s lives have not yet returned to normal.
The local residents complained that despite the extensive assistance of the aid institutions and organizations, some families remain homeless and houses have not been built for them.
“This is the center of Geyan district. This area is still desolate. Dwellings have not yet been constructed to people. They are living in tents. The weather is very hot; people are suffering from various diseases. There are many problems.” A resident of Geyan district complained
They claimed that people have not been treated fairly in the construction of houses and added that there are some cases that show corruption in the construction of houses.
“The institutions should fulfill the promises made to us. A year has passed since the earthquake, but the promises made to us regarding building our houses have not been fulfilled yet.” Another resident of Geyan district uttered
Meanwhile, the local authorities also admitted that there are concerns of corruption in the construction of houses and distribution of assistance in this area, but they have appointed a special committee to solve the problem, gather the latest information and address existing concerns.
Mawlawi Makhdoom Abdulsalam Sadat, Deputy Governor of Paktika, said: “There may be a problem in transparency. There will be a problem that the right should reach the rightful one hundred percent, but the IE has appointed a separate committee for the people of Geyan and Barmal districts for these earthquake victims. The committee is responsible to deliver the right to the rightful.”
Last year, on June 21, due to a strong earthquake, nearly 2500 people were killed and wounded and hundreds of houses collapsed in some districts of Paktika and Khost provinces.
