UN appeals for $140 million to assist quake-hit Afghan communities

The United Nations has launched an emergency appeal for nearly $140 million to support hundreds of thousands of people affected by the powerful earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan on August 31.

The 6.0 magnitude quake and subsequent aftershocks killed over 2,200 people and left more than 3,600 injured, according to Afghan authorities. Entire villages in the mountainous provinces of Kunar, Laghman, and Nangarhar have been devastated, with more than 6,700 homes damaged or destroyed.

Humanitarian access remains a major challenge. The UN says it has so far reached only 49 of the 411 affected villages because of damaged roads and rugged terrain, with some communities accessible only by helicopter.

The UN’s four-month emergency response plan, valued at $139.6 million, aims to deliver urgent food, shelter, medical care, and other relief to around 457,000 people before winter sets in.

“This is a moment where the international community must dig deep and show solidarity with a population that has already endured so much suffering,” said Indrika Ratwatte, the UN’s Humanitarian Coordinator for Afghanistan.

He warned that assistance efforts are in a “race against time” as cold weather approaches.

Local authorities and aid agencies have already launched relief operations, but overstretched health facilities and damaged infrastructure are limiting the response. The UN says the appeal, which runs until the end of the year, will allow aid groups to expand operations, particularly in high-altitude areas most at risk from the coming winter.