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Thousands affected by a deadly earthquake in eastern Afghanistan are in need of clean water and food and are at risk of disease, an Afghan health ministry official said on Sunday, days after a UN agency warned of a cholera outbreak in the region, Reuters reported.

At least 1,000 people were killed, 2,000 injured and 10,000 homes destroyed in Wednesday's earthquake, after which the U.N. humanitarian office (OCHA) warned that cholera outbreaks in the aftermath are of particular and serious concern. 

"The people are extremely needy for food and clean water," Afghanistan's health ministry spokesperson Sharafat Zaman told Reuters, adding officials had managed medicines for now but handling those who had lost their homes would be a challenge.

"We ask the international community, humanitarian organisations to help us for food and medicine, the survivor might catch diseases because they don't have proper houses and shelters for living," he said.

The disaster is a major test for Afghanistan's hardline Taliban rulers, who have been shunned by many foreign governments due to concerns about human rights since they seized control of the country last year.

Helping thousands of Afghans is also a challenge for countries that had imposed sanctions on Afghan government bodies and banks, cutting off direct assistance, leading to a humanitarian crisis even before the earthquake, according to Reuters.

The United Nations and several other countries have rushed aid to the affected areas, with more due to arrive over the coming days.

Afghanistan's Taliban administration called for a rolling back of sanctions and lifting a freeze on billions of dollars in central bank assets stashed in Western financial institutions. 

In Kabul, hospitals more used to treating victims of war have opened their wards to earthquake victims, but a majority of people remain in the areas destroyed by the earthquake.

"Our houses were destroyed, we have no tent... there are lots of children with us. We have nothing. Our food and clothes...everything is under rubble," Hazrat Ali, 18, told a Reuters team in Wor Kali, a village of the hardest-hit Barmal district.

"I have lost my brothers, my heart is broken. Now we are just two. I loved them a lot," he said, Reuters reported.

Police have arrested two persons with a pistol and bullets from New Bus Park, Kathmandu on Saturday.

The detainees have been identified as nabbed Joyal Thapa (42) of Kathmandu-17 and Raju BK (30) of Bardaghat-14, Nawalparasi.

DSP Dinesh Raj Mainali, spokesperson at the District Police Range, Kathmandu, said that a team deployed from the Metropolitan Police Sector, New Bus Park nabbed the duo with the pistol and bullets from a restaurant in Mitranagar, Kathmandu-26.

Police said that they are looking into the case.

Twelve persons have been tested positive for cholera in Kathmandu Valley. 

Dr Chuman Lal Das, Director at the Department Epidemiology and Disease Control Division, said that 12 persons of different places have been tested positive for cholera.

“Cholera has been detected in Dillibazaar, Bagbazaar, Kapan, Thankot, Balkhu, Naikap and Sanepa among other places of Kathmandu,” he said. 

The two patients, who were admitted to Teku Hospital on June 16, were tested positive for the deadly disease. Cholera has been confirmed in stool samples of the patients. Both of them are from the same family. 

The Department of Epidemiology and Disease Control Division has urged the general public to be vigilant to control cholera. 

Cholera is an acute diarrheal illness caused by infection of the intestine with Vibrio cholerae bacteria. People can get sick when they eat food or drink water contaminated with cholera bacteria. The infection is often mild or without symptoms, but can sometimes be severe and life-threatening.

Nepal reported 29 new Covid-19 cases on Sunday.

According to the Ministry of Health and Population, 1, 077 swab samples were tested in the RT-PCR method, of which 21 returned positive. Likewise, 653 people underwent antigen tests, of which eight were tested positive.

The Ministry said that no one died of virus in the last 24 hours. The Ministry said that 17 infected people recovered from the disease.

As of today, there are 192 active cases in the country.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) jumped 94. 92 points to close at 1,956.98 points on Sunday.

Similarly, the sensitive index surged by 17. 93 points to close at 382. 84 points.

Meanwhile, a total of 6,363,590 unit shares of 230 companies were traded for Rs 2.19 billion.

In today’s market, all sub-indices saw green. Life Insurance topped the chart with 370. 25 points.

Meanwhile, National Hydropower Company Limited, Citizen Investment Trust, Himalayan Distillery Limited, Guheshowori Merchant Bank and Finance Co. Limited and Progressive Finance Limited were the top gainer today, with their price surging by 10. 00 percent. Nepal Investment Bank Debenture was the top loser as its price fell by 2. 16 percent.

At the end of the day, total market capitalisation stood at Rs2. 79 trillion.

Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Prem Ale resigned from his post on Sunday.

He handed over his resignation letter to Chairman Madhav Nepal in the party office, Chairman Nepal's Secretariat said.

Withdrawing his signature from the group 10 CPN (Unified Socialist) lawmakers who had submitted a memorandum expressing dissatisfaction over the party's decision to reshuffle ministers on Friday, Ale said that he would resign within 24 hours.

Ale, who handed over his resignation letter to Chairman Nepal, is preparing to organize a press conference.

Earlier on June 5, the Secretariat meeting of the CPN (Unified Socialist) had decided to recall the ministers representing the party in the government.

But, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal said that the CPN (US)'s decision to reshuffle the ministers will be implemented after the completion of budget discussions.

A Central Committee meeting held on Saturday had decided that the party would not wait for Prime Minister Deuba and Dahal now and would take the delay as an insult.

A day after the Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) slashed the prices of petroleum products, the Department of Transport Management reduced the public transportation fares on Sunday.

The department reduced the fares of public transportation plying in the inter-state with effect from today.

The NOC had slashed the prices of petrol by Rs 20 per liter and diesel and kerosene by Rs 29 per liter. 

The department has reduced the public transportation fares by 5. 41 percent.

Similarly, the department has also reduced the fares by 6. 97 percent and 7. 68 percent for cargo carriers serving routes in the hills and the Tarai respectively.

A woman was found dead in a jungle in Jajarkot.

Bhagwati Shahi (42) of Nalgad Municipality-1 was found dead in the jungle near her house.

Locals informed police after the body started stinking.

Looking at the nature of the body , police said that the woman died or murdered a week ago.

DSP Santosh Niraula of the District Police Office said that they are investigating the case.

He said that police have taken Shahi's husband under control for interrogation.