The earthquake in Afghanistan

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New earthquake shakes affected area in Afghanistan  

A new earthquake has hit Afghanistan, according to the American geological authority USGS according to TT. 

The quake, with a magnitude of 4.9, occurred about three miles from the city of Herat, which was hit hardest by Saturday's strong quake.  

Over 2,400 people have been confirmed dead and many are still missing. The rescue work is still ongoing and is being made more difficult by aftershocks.

Mourning women at a grave site in Herat. Ebrahim Noroozi / AP  

The earthquake in Afghanistan 

Women and children hardest hit: "Devastating"  

Women and children make up the majority of the injured and dead in this weekend's strong earthquake in Afghanistan, according to the WHO. 

The World Health Organization's Alaa AbouZeid told Reuters that many men were not at home when the quake struck at 11 a.m. He adds that many children are treated in hospital with serious injuries. 

- It's devastating [...] I saw a three-four month old child being treated for head injuries, says AbouZeid, who was on the scene in Herat Province after the earthquake.  

AbouZeid says that the rescue efforts in Afghanistan are in urgent need of funding and that the hospitals need to be equipped to better face similar disasters in the future.