UN Allocates $139.6M for Quake Victims in Eastern Afghanistan

DID Press: UN launched a four-month emergency response plan worth $139.6 million, warning that any delay in aid delivery to survivors of eastern Afghanistan’s earthquake could deepen the humanitarian crisis as winter approaches.

Indrika Ratwatte, UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Afghanistan, said: “This is a moment where the international community must dig deep and show solidarity with a population that has already endured so much suffering. With winter fast approaching, we are in a race against time to support affected communities with just the bare minimum. The resilience of the Afghanistan people has been continually tested and there is a real danger, with each crisis that hits, that the fragile gains made in recent years will be reversed.”

According to local officials, nearly 500,000 people in Kunar, Laghman, and Nangarhar provinces were directly affected by the quake. More than 2,200 people have been killed and around 3,600 injured.

Thousands of survivors—including children and the elderly—have been left with just their clothes on their bodies. Over 6,700 homes were destroyed or damaged in the disaster.

The UN has cautioned that without swift assistance, the humanitarian situation could worsen dramatically with the onset of winter.