UNHCR calls for urgent aid to Afghanistan’s earthquake-hit communities

Following Sunday's devastating earthquake in Afghanistan, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has scrambled resources to join the response to help devastated communities.

The east of the country has borne the worst of the damage with an estimated 800 killed, some 3,000 injured, and entire villages destroyed. Survivors saw their homes collapse and spent the night sleeping outside.

The affected areas are remote, roads are blocked or destroyed, and it is feared that many are still trapped under rubble. The number of casualties is expected to increase over the coming days. From the early hours of Monday, UNHCR and our humanitarian partners have rushed to the worst-hit areas to help relief efforts. An inter-agency rapid needs assessment is underway, and UNHCR stands ready to respond in coordination with UN partners and as part of the joint effort.

As people mourn their loved ones, health services are overwhelmed, and rescue operations are hindered by the lack of basic infrastructure in the affected areas.

UNHCR is deploying prepositioned essential relief items from stockpiles in Kabul, including tents, blankets and solar lamps. We are also assessing our emergency stockpiles in the region, including in Termez, Uzbekistan, to meet further needs.

We are particularly concerned for women and children affected by the earthquake, who will again be among those most at risk. Supporting them may be further complicated by a shortage of female humanitarian staff to respond to their specific needs. We are working with national and international partners to ensure people with specific needs are identified and receive the required support, including those with disabilities, older people and child- and female-headed households.

The earthquake has added death and destruction to a country already facing multiple crises, including a severe drought and the return of millions of Afghans from neighbouring countries. Communities have been struggling to integrate the 2.5 million Afghans who have returned or been forced to return from neighbouring countries this year. Since April, over 478,000 Afghans have returned from Pakistan - around 337,000 of whom passed through the Torkham border crossing, close to the epicentre of the earthquake. Some 24 per cent of returnees from Pakistan came to Nangarhar Province, one of the hardest hit by the earthquake.

Humanitarian assistance is desperately needed immediately to help the people of Afghanistan and avoid further tragedy. Our stocks and capacity to respond are already stretched thin. We appeal globally for urgent support.

Donations can be made here.

For more information:

• In Kabul, Charlie Goodlake, [email protected], +44 7810 260093

• In Bangkok, Mariko Hall: [email protected], +66 6 300 32028

• In Geneva, Babar Baloch, [email protected], +41 79 513 9549