Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s (IEA) deputy prime minister for economic affairs said on Tuesday that all government departments and aid agencies are coordinating with each other to help the victims of the earthquake in Herat and that rescue teams are working to pull victims out from under the rubble.

Baradar assured the people during a press conference after visiting the earthquake affected areas that humanitarian aid will be distributed to all quake-affected areas fairly.

“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has deployed all available resources to save the victims, and all relevant ministries and departments are working to provide urgent aid, and we have seen that they have been delivering,” Baradar said.

He called on international aid organizations and national businessmen to continue sending aid to the earthquake-affected areas. He also assured the people that homes destroyed by the earthquake will be rebuilt.

“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) assures that the destroyed houses, which are about 1,000 to 1,500 houses, will be rebuilt with baked bricks,” Baradar said.

Herat officials said local people had played a key role in helping the victims of the earthquake. National businessmen and local aid organizations also sent food, clothes and drinking water to the earthquake affected areas.

“Our businessmen and wealthy people at home and abroad contacted us and delivered bread, water and blankets,” Noor Ahmad Islamjar, the governor of Herat, said.

Meanwhile, the Herat Chamber of Commerce and Investment assured the people that it will cooperate with the government in building houses.

“We want to heal the pain of these people with you. The private sector and chambers are ready to solve their housing problem together with the government,” Mohammad Yunus Qazizadeh, head of the Herat Chamber of Commerce and Investment, said.

According to the government, more than 1,000 people died and more than 2,000 people were injured in Saturday’s string of earthquakes in Herat.