UN issues emergency funding appeal to help survivors of devastating Afghan earthquake

Published on 09/09/2025 - 18:52 GMT+2

The United Nations is issuing an emergency entreaty for astir $140 cardinal (€119 million) successful desperately needed backing to thief astir half a cardinal group affected by the devastating earthquake that struck eastbound Afghanistan.

Afghan authorities person said nan 6.0 magnitude quake connected 31 August and nan ensuing aftershocks killed much than 2,200 group successful nan country’s mountainous and rugged east.

Many of nan astir severely affected areas person been peculiarly difficult to get to, pinch immoderate reachable only by helicopter.

The UN said successful a connection connected Tuesday that nan $139.6 million, four-month emergency consequence scheme would let humanitarian organisations to thief nan 457,000 people who person been affected in nan provinces of Kunar, Laghman and Nangarhar.

Rescue operations concluded connected Tuesday, pinch nan charismatic decease toll astatine 2,210 crossed each 3 provinces, said Naqib Rahemi, nan wellness section spokesperson from Nangarhar province.

More than 3,600 group person been injured, pinch stretched wellness accommodation struggling to supply treatment, while much than 6,700 homes person been damaged aliases destroyed.

The UN has said it has truthful acold been capable to visit only 49 of nan 411 villages affected due to damaged roads successful nan rugged terrain.

"This is simply a infinitesimal wherever nan world organization must excavation heavy and show solidarity pinch a organization that has already endured truthful overmuch suffering," nan UN's Humanitarian Coordinator for Afghanistan, Indrika Ratwatte, said successful a statement.

The approaching wintertime intends assistance efforts are successful a "race against time," Ratwatte added.

Local authorities and humanitarian organisations person been conducting alleviation operations to supply food, shelter and aesculapian care.

The UN's earthquake consequence plan, which will tally to nan extremity of nan year, will let assistance groups to summation operations peculiarly successful high-elevation areas up of winter, nan UN connection said.

The UN entreaty comes almost a week aft assistance agencies moving successful nan worst affected areas of Afghanistan called connected nan world organization to summation funding.

So far, only a fistful of countries person committed money to thief assistance efforts aft nan disaster.

The European Union has donated €1 cardinal successful humanitarian backing and 130 tonnes of in-kind assistance to reside nan needs of those impacted. The United Kingdom has besides fixed £1 cardinal (€1.15 million) to help.

That assistance was owed to beryllium fixed straight to organisations moving connected nan crushed and not to nan Taliban government, which astir Western countries do not recognise.