Soon after the 5.9 magnitude earthquake hit southeastern Afghanistan in the early hours of Wednesday, Taliban officials and aid agencies started flooding in, carrying truckloads of food, blankets, tents and medical supplies for the victims.
But amid the chaos of first responders was another group of Afghans - many of whom said they packed their bags as soon as they heard about the earthquake, travelling to Paktika’s hard-hit Gayan district independently, hoping to help.
