World organizations appeal to nations for increased financial assistance in response to the recent earthquake in Afghanistan on a Sunday.
In the aftermath of a devastating 6.0 magnitude earthquake in Afghanistan, aid agencies are calling on the international community to increase funding to support relief efforts. The disaster, which has left more than 800 people dead and over 1,400 injured, according to the Taliban authorities, has further exacerbated the country's already dire situation.
The earthquake is the latest disaster to beset Afghanistan, which is suffering a severe economic crisis and is globally isolated following years of aid cuts. The country is currently in the grip of a humanitarian crisis, with millions facing food insecurity and malnutrition.
The European Union has pledged its support, donating β¬1 million in humanitarian funding to aid organizations working in Afghanistan, as well as 130 tonnes of in-kind assistance. The United Kingdom has also contributed Β£1 million to the relief efforts. However, only a handful of countries have committed money to help aid efforts following the disaster.
The Taliban authorities have appealed for international help from NGOs despite restricting their work and claims they have used force to divert international aid for their own purposes. Aid agencies have warned that Afghanistan's position has meant local rescue efforts are stretched thin.
Jacopo Caridi, Country Director of the Norwegian Refugee Council, warns that local resources in Afghanistan are "stretched to the breaking point," with the lack of funding limiting the scale and speed of the humanitarian response. Caridi also states that the earthquake hit communities in Afghanistan that were already struggling with displacement, food insecurity, drought, and the return of hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees from neighboring countries.
UN Spokesperson SteΜphane Dujarric has said that needs remain immense in the wake of the earthquake in Afghanistan. He also calls on all those able to provide support for the earthquake response to do so. The aid will be given to organizations working on the ground and not to the Taliban government.
Rescue teams are struggling to reach the hardest-hit region of Kunar due to rockfalls and landslides. A desperate search for survivors is ongoing after the deadly Afghan quake. Dujarric and aid agencies are urging the international community to step up and provide the necessary funding to ensure that those affected by the disaster receive the help they so desperately need.
