Yahoo TV

STORY: Homes completely destroyed in the deadliest earthquakes to hit Afghanistan in years.

Rescue workers on Monday (October 9) were scrambling to pull out survivors, and the dead, from beneath the rubble two days after the northwestern city of Herat and its surroundings were struck.

The Taliban administration said thousands were killed and many more injured in the quakes.

At a hospital in Herat, some of the injured were being treated.

The World Health Organization says women and children made up two-thirds of the victims hospitalized with severe injuries.

Many spoke of lost or missing loved ones.

“Many of our family members have been martyred, including one of my sons, and my other son is also injured."

“I don't know anything about my mother, my daughter, my son, whether they are dead or alive.”

Afghanistan's healthcare system, largely reliant on foreign aid, has faced crippling cuts in the two years since the Taliban took over.

Much international assistance, which had formed the backbone of the economy, was halted.

Diplomats and aid officials say concerns over Taliban restrictions on women and competing global humanitarian crises are causing donors to pull back on financial support.

Apart from this hospital in Herat, the WHO says a vast majority of the facilities are smaller basic health centers and logistical challenges were hindering operations.

Alaa Abouzeid is the WHO Health Emergencies team leader for Afghanistan.

"We have been watching the news diverted to what’s going on in the Middle East over the past two days and there was very little attention to that event in Afghanistan. Attention means funding as well, diversion of funding to other competing priorities with Afghanistan. Unfortunately this country has been in need of foreign aid for many years due to the limited capacity and limited resources inside the country."

The U.N.'s humanitarian office has announced $5 million worth of assistance, but immediate material support has come from a limited few countries.

Neighbors Pakistan and Iran have offered to send rescue workers and humanitarian aid, while China's Red Cross Society offered cash relief aid.