HE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani affirmed Qatar's full solidarity with the Afghan people in facing the effects of the earthquake that struck the country yesterday.

His Excellency said in a tweet on his Twitter account: "We extend our sincere condolences and sincere sympathy to the brotherly people of Afghanistan for the victims of the devastating earthquake that struck the country today, and we wish a speedy recovery for the wounded, and we affirm Qatar's full solidarity with the brotherly Afghan people in facing the effects of the earthquake."

A source in the Afghan government had stated that the number of victims of the earthquake that struck southeastern Afghanistan has risen to more than 1,500 dead and more than 2,000 wounded. International humanitarian bodies have called for bypassing Western restrictions on dealing with the Taliban government in order to provide relief to the afflicted.

The earthquake that hit the states of Paktika and Khost yesterday morning, Wednesday, destroyed hundreds of homes, including 600 homes in Khost alone, and displaced thousands of affected people amid fears that relief would falter.