The United Nations on Tuesday appealed for $179 million in humanitarian aid to help more than half a million people affected by last week’s devastating earthquakes in eastern Afghanistan, urging governments to set politics aside and act quickly before winter sets in.
The quakes struck Kunar and Nangarhar Provinces, killing more than 2,200 people and leaving tens of thousands homeless. Entire villages were flattened, with families now living in makeshift shelters or in the open as nighttime temperatures drop.
“This is a moment when the international community must stand in solidarity with a population that has already suffered so much,” said Indrika Ratwatte, the UN humanitarian coordinator for Afghanistan, at a briefing in Geneva. “Lives are at stake, and within two or three weeks winter temperatures will reach these high-altitude communities.”
Ratwatte warned that Afghanistan’s humanitarian response capacity has been sharply reduced, with donor funding down 35 percent since 2024, including cuts from the United States. A shortage of resources, he said, has already grounded a helicopter once used to reach remote mountain villages.
The United Nations stressed that aid delivery must not be obstructed by “political considerations or restrictions linked to the Taliban.” Ratwatte acknowledged that some governments were reluctant to provide assistance under Taliban rule but urged them to focus on Afghan civilians.
The World Health Organization has also called on the Taliban to lift restrictions on women aid workers, who are still barred from traveling without a male guardian. Humanitarian groups say female staff are essential to reaching women and children in conservative communities.
“Our aim is to have at least one woman in every response team,” Ratwatte said. “At present that is not possible everywhere, and we are working to address this gap.”
Images from the quake-hit provinces show collapsed homes and families huddled in the cold, underscoring the urgency of the appeal.
