The Taliban has promised new homes for the victims of the devastating earthquakes that shook western Afghanistan over the weekend.

According to a statement released by a provincial government on Tuesday, the Deputy Prime Minister of Economic Affairs, Abdul Ghani Baradar, made the pledge during his visit to the disaster zone.

Mr Baradar said that all government officials have been instructed to distribute the donations collected in the country to survivors in need.

Mr Baradar was said to have met with local officials, businesspeople, community representatives, and health workers.

On Saturday, several earthquakes hit Afghanistan’s western province of Herat, flattening at least 20 villages.

The 6.3-magnitude tremors killed around 2,400 people and wounded thousands of others, according to the latest figures by the Taliban-run government.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) spoke of more than 1,000 dead. More than 11,000 people have been affected, according to the UN.

Most search-and-rescue operations have wound down. A resident of the region remained in a state of deep shock, spending most of their time outside in fear of aftershocks.

The US Geological Survey has recorded nine tremors since the weekend.

(dpa/NAN)