The United Nations is appealing for $179 million in emergency aid for survivors of the earthquakes that struck eastern Afghanistan late last month, urging governments to put politics aside as winter looms over communities already battered by conflict and poverty.
The twin earthquakes, which hit on the night of Aug. 31 into Sept. 1, killed more than 2,200 people and left tens of thousands homeless across remote mountain districts. Entire villages were reduced to rubble, and fears of landslides continue to haunt families camping in makeshift shelters.
“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, at a briefing in Geneva. He warned that plunging temperatures could soon turn the crisis into a catastrophe. “Two or three more weeks and the winter temperatures will be reaching these high-altitude communities. Lives are at stake.”
Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis is already considered among the worst in the world. But funding has fallen sharply—down 35 percent from last year—amid global donor fatigue and growing reluctance to channel aid through the Taliban authorities, who continue to enforce sweeping restrictions on women’s rights. The United States, historically Afghanistan’s largest humanitarian donor, has yet to release relief funds following the disaster.
The shortfall has immediate consequences. One UN helicopter that once ferried aid workers and supplies into remote valleys now sits idle, grounding missions that could have delivered food, medicine, and tents to isolated villages before winter snow cuts them off entirely.
Ratwatte acknowledged donors’ concerns but urged them to focus on the victims. “Some governments do have reservations because of the policies of the de facto authorities,” he said, referring to the Taliban. “Our appeal has always been to focus on the people.”
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The World Health Organization has pressed the Taliban to lift restrictions preventing Afghan women from traveling or working without male guardians. The limits have complicated relief operations, particularly in conservative rural areas where only female aid workers can reach women and children.
“For every team, we are trying to include at least one female worker,” Ratwatte said. “It’s not possible right now for all the teams, but we are working on it.”
As survivors search for stability amid the rubble, the UN’s call carries urgency: without swift international action, Afghanistan’s latest tragedy risks deepening into a deadly winter of neglect.
