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Global sympathy and aid pledges pour in after deadly Afghanistan earthquake
The quake has once again highlighted Afghanistan’s vulnerability to natural disasters, with many rural families now left homeless and in urgent need of shelter, food, and medical assistance.
Countries around the world have expressed condolences and pledged support to Afghanistan after a powerful earthquake struck the eastern provinces of Kunar and Nangarhar, leaving more than 800 people dead and thousands injured.
The U.S. State Department’s Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs said Washington was “deeply saddened by the casualties and damages caused by the quake” and reaffirmed its solidarity with the Afghan people. Germany’s Foreign Ministry described the tragedy as “heartbreaking,” while Switzerland conveyed sympathy and pledged to deliver emergency aid to those affected.
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, also expressed condolences and announced that humanitarian supplies and rescue teams would be dispatched to assist survivors in the disaster-hit areas.
Pope Leo XIV also expressed his sorrow following the disaster. In a message of condolence, sent on behalf of the pope by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, the message read that the pope was “deeply saddened by the significant loss of life caused by the earthquake in the area of eastern Afghanistan” and offered prayers “for the souls of the deceased, for the injured and for those still missing.”
“Entrusting all affected by this disaster to the providence of the Almighty, he expresses his heartfelt solidarity in particular with those who mourn the loss of loved ones and with the emergency personnel and civil authorities involved in rescue and recovery efforts,” Cardinal Parolin wrote.
The 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck Kunar province on Sunday, flattening entire villages and damaging homes and infrastructure across the region. Rescuers are still struggling to reach remote mountain communities cut off by landslides, raising fears that the death toll could rise further.
The quake has once again highlighted Afghanistan’s vulnerability to natural disasters, with many rural families now left homeless and in urgent need of shelter, food, and medical assistance.
A 13-member delegation of Afghan traders and industrialists has departed for Iran to strengthen trade and economic ties between the two countries.
The delegation is visiting Iran at the official invitation of the Iran-Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and in coordination with the Afghanistan-Iran Joint Chamber of Commerce.
During the visit, the delegation is scheduled to meet with Iranian economic officials, attend bilateral trade meetings and visit industrial centers across the country.
The visit will also focus on exploring new investment opportunities, expanding joint ventures, exchanging expertise and identifying ways to strengthen economic cooperation between the private sectors of Afghanistan and Iran.
France is holding technical discussions with Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan authorities to facilitate the return of Afghan nationals living in the country without legal immigration status, French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez has confirmed.
Speaking before the French parliament on Monday, Nunez said Paris was seeking arrangements to return a number of Afghans who are in an irregular immigration situation.
“We are trying to obtain the possibility to return a certain number of Afghans who are in an irregular situation. These are technical discussions,” Nunez told lawmakers, adding that other European countries, including Germany, were pursuing similar arrangements.
The French minister said some Afghan nationals could pose threats to public order and described their deportation as a priority for the government.
According to AFP, France had already begun discussions with IEA authorities in early October to facilitate the deportation of Afghan nationals.
Although France does not officially recognise the Islamic Emirate administration or maintain diplomatic relations with it, Paris has joined around 20 European Union countries, including Germany, Belgium and Sweden, in efforts to accelerate the return of Afghan nationals, particularly those convicted of criminal offences.
However, the discussions have drawn criticism from some French lawmakers and human rights groups.
Lea Balage El Mariky, a lawmaker from the Ecologists party, accused the French government of moving towards normalising relations with an IEA she criticised over restrictions on women and girls in Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, a meeting held in Brussels in June between a IEA delegation and representatives from 15 EU countries also faced criticism from human rights organisations and left-wing European lawmakers. The discussions focused on irregular migration and increasing deportations.
In September, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk expressed concern over what he described as international silence surrounding Afghanistan’s worsening human rights and humanitarian situation, calling for an end to forced returns.
A coordination meeting on economic cooperation between Afghanistan and the Russian Federation was held in Kabul under the chairmanship of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs said that the Ministry of Finance presented a report on the latest meeting of the Afghanistan-Russia Joint Economic Commission.
According to the statement, a plan to advance the commission’s work has been prepared and submitted to the office of the leader of the Islamic Emirate for final approval. It added that an economic cooperation document, prepared with the Russian side on the sidelines of the recent
Kazan Forum in Tatarstan, has been finalized and is expected to be signed with the Russian Federation in the near future.
The meeting also discussed ways to implement the decisions of the latest session of the Joint Economic Commission, as well as investment opportunities and priorities in infrastructure, trade, electricity, transport, mining, higher education, agriculture, irrigation, livestock, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, business visa issuance, telecommunications and information technology.
Participants also reviewed and identified investment opportunities and priorities in these sectors.
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