Calgarians with family in Afghanistan struggle to help earthquake survivors

Calgarians are doing what they can to help victims of the devastating earthquake in Afghanistan, but some say their efforts are limited by ongoing sanctions against the Taliban.

Calgarians are doing what they can to help victims of the devastating earthquake in Afghanistan, but some say their efforts are limited by ongoing sanctions against the Taliban.

The powerful earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan on Wednesday.

It’s the deadliest earthquake in Afghanistan in decades, killing more than 1,000 people are wounding many more. It also flattened stone and mud brick homes.

Roya Saddat came to Calgary from Afghanistan 11 years ago. She spoke with her parents, who still live in Afghanistan, on the day the earthquake.

“They were really scared, especially my younger sister who is left behind with my mom and dad. She was really, really terrified because of this earthquake,” Saddat said.

“They wanted to go outside of the house to go in the street to be safe so their house doesn’t collapse on them.”

She worries about how survivors will cope.

“It’s really difficult nowadays because there’s no work, there’s no jobs and the banks don’t give money to people. You can’t even send money from overseas,” Saddat said.