The Afghan Embassy in South Korea cohosted a charity event with a number of local nonprofits in Yeouido, Seoul, on Friday to raise money for families affected by a massive landslide that struck the Central Asian nation in early May.
Dubbed the Hope Sharing Bazaar, the event was cohosted by the Korea-Afghanistan Friendship Association and Nutrition, Education, International (NEI) at Yeouido Middle School.
More than 4,000 villagers were displaced by a massive landslide on May 2 that struck the village of Aab Bareek in Badakhshan state, northern Afghanistan. The landslide reportedly buried 300 homes in about 50 meters of mud, reportedly burying some 2,000 people alive and leaving nearly 700 other houses uninhabitable.
Much of Aab Bareek was engulfed by a fast-moving tide of mud and rock that swept down on to the village, leaving almost no trace of the 300 homes. A major international aid effort swung into action, with government and United Nations officials estimating the death toll from 300 to as high as 2,500, according to media reports.
“I believe this charity bazaar will be a big support for the victims of the landslide in Afghanistan. The funds raised today will be used for the Afghan victims, providing monetary aid, food and clothing,” Afghan Charge d’Affairs to South Korea Abdul Bashir Pazhwak said during Friday’s charity drive. “In addition, this event will strengthen the relationship between Afghanistan and South Korea, and improve the ties between our two nations.”
The profit from the bazaar in Seoul will be used to assist 4,000 displaced villagers, according to an embassy official. The Afghan government and emergency relief groups are still conducting aid work in the area.
At the bazaar were products from Cafe J Brown, a premium dessert store; All for You, a leading sports apparel brand; Rattul, by designer Cho sung-kyung; Laon Shopping; and the Cambodia Multicultural Community in Korea.
“The NEI as a relief organization and the KAFA have been working in the fields of nutrition, health, education and self-reliance for women and children suffering with poverty, famine and war for more than 10 years,” the embassy official said.
“This bazaar is especially for those having difficulty due to the landslide,” said an official of the NEI, which is affiliated with United Nations World Food Program, according to a press statement released by the Afghan Embassy.
