The Taliban in Afghanistan have appealed for international support, as the country deals with the aftermath of a devastating 6.1 magnitude earthquake, APA reports citing BBC.
More than 1,000 people have been killed and at least 1,500 injured. Unknown numbers are buried in the rubble of ruined, often mud-built homes.
South eastern Paktika province has been worst-hit and the UN is scrambling to provide emergency shelter and food aid.
Rescue efforts are being hampered by heavy rain and lack of resources.
Survivors and rescuers have told the BBC of villages completely destroyed near the epicentre of the quake, of ruined roads and mobile phone towers - and of their fears that the death toll will rise further.
The earthquake struck about 44km (27 miles) from the city of Khost and tremors were felt as far away as Pakistan and India.
Afghanistan is in the midst of a humanitarian and economic crisis, and Abdul Qahar Balkhi, a senior Taliban official, said the government was "financially unable to assist the people to the extent that is needed".
Aid agencies, neighbouring countries and world powers were helping, he said, but added: "The assistance needs to be scaled up to a very large extent because this is a devastating earthquake which hasn't been experienced in decades."
The head of the United Nations, António Guterres said the agency had "fully mobilized" over the disaster. Health teams, medical supplies, food, and emergency shelters were en route to the quake zone, UN officials said.
Most of the casualties so far have been in the Gayan and Barmal districts of Paktika. A whole village in Gayan has reportedly been destroyed.
"There was a rumbling and my bed began to shake", one survivor, Shabir, told the BBC.
"The ceiling fell down. I was trapped, but I could see the sky. My shoulder was dislocated, my head was hurt but I got out. I am sure that seven or nine people from my family, who were in the same room as me, are dead".
A doctor in Paktika said medical workers were among the victims.
"We didn't have enough people and facilities before the earthquake, and now the earthquake has ruined the little we had," the medic said. "I don't know how many of our colleagues are still alive."
Communication following the quake is difficult because of damage to mobile phone towers and the death toll could rise further still, a local journalist in the area told the BBC.
"Many people are not aware of the well-being of their relatives because their phones are not working," he said. "My brother and his family died, and I just learned it after many hours. Many villages have been destroyed."
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