A 6.1 magnitude earthquake hit eastern Afghanistan this morning, killing at least 920 people – although the death toll is likely to rise over the coming days. Homes have been completely destroyed and families are believed to be trapped under the rubble, with hundreds of people injured. Many people were asleep when the earthquake struck. Other critical infrastructure such as roads and power supplies have also been badly damaged. An Islamic Relief response team is heading to Paktika province, the worst affected area, and will initially provide food aid and cash so that people can buy supplies. Emergency shelter is also needed for people who have lost their homes. The worst affected areas are remote rural communities, many of which are hard to reach.
Please donate generously and help save lives.
Millions of Afghans are on the verge of facing a catastrophic famine, and their lives are at stake. Afghanistan is experiencing one of the worst droughts in 27 years, and as a result food, water and supplies are extremely scarce. Donate to the Afghanistan Emergency Appeal today and help our teams on the ground to get to those in most need.
The head of the World Food Programme has described the situation unfolding in Afghanistan as “the worst humanitarian crisis on earth”.
The situation is further compounded by a collapsing economy and rising poverty, and a harsh winter season already in sway – the situation is getting more desperate by the day.
22 million people – more than half of the population – are facing acute food insecurity in the next three months
Islamic Relief is on the ground delivering vital food pack, water storage kits and winter clothing, as well as providing medical care through health centres supporting displaced families. Please Donate to Islamic Relief’s Afghanistan Emergency now and help save lives.
Years of protracted conflict, the impact of Covid-19, the effects of climate change and now the current political turmoil, has pushed Afghanistan into one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Millions of lives are at stake, and children are already dying of hunger. Donate to support emergency relief in Afghanistan.
Millions of Afghans, especially women, are going for days without food, desperately selling their belongings to be able to feed their families. At least 12 million people are facing extreme hunger and more than 3 million people are just one step away from famine.
With rampant unemployment and food prices spiralling out of control, current projections show that 97 percent of Afghans will be in poverty within a year. More than 8 million people are just one step away from famine, 3 million children under five are expected to suffer from malnutrition, and 1 million of these children are at risk of dying.
Families have resorted to selling anything they have left of value, and tragically, children as young as five are being forced to work for more than twelve hours a day to afford their families a meal.
Afghans are being plunged deeper into poverty and as the harsh winter season approaches, there’s even more of a terrifying risk to the lives of millions of Afghans. Without taking action now, there is a real risk of a famine in the next year.
We are facing a race against time and funds are rapidly needed to support vulnerable families by providing life-saving aid ahead of winter. Your donations are desperately needed to help provide emergency relief in Afghanistan, please Donate Now.
Alongside keeping the people of Afghanistan in our prayers, we have a duty to not turn our back on the people of Afghanistan. You can help ease the burden of this catastrophe for the Afghan people by donating towards our life-saving work in communities for displaced families across Afghanistan.
$75 can provide hygiene, water storage kits and basic essentials
$100 can provide a food pack for a displaced family in Afghanistan for a month
$750 can provide a displaced family with emergency shelter in Afghanistan
Islamic Relief has been working in Afghanistan for over 20 years, we were one of the few aid agencies to continue working in Afghanistan during the military incursions, and we have offices in Kabul, Herat, Bamyan, Nangarhar and Balkh.
In recent months, our teams on the ground have distributed food packs to the most vulnerable families in Kabul, Nangarhar, Balkh, Bamiyan, and Kapisa provinces. Qurbani meat distributions to over 700 families have also been carried out.
Due to the current situation, the safety and security of our staff in Afghanistan is a top priority. We are closely working with the authorities to carry out humanitarian activities as the situation gets more stable.
Donate now and help us continue our life-saving work in Afghanistan.
“Whoever relieves a Muslim of a burden from the burdens of the world, Allah will relieve them of a burden from the burdens on the Day of Judgement.” – Prophet Muhammad ﷺ
Because of your generous donations, Islamic Relief teams on the ground have already delivered over 800 food packs that are supporting thousands of people, Alhamdulillah! In the coming weeks we will continue to deliver even more food packs, as well as protection items for the winter season.
It is imperative that food and other essential aid reaches these communities immediately, or the death toll could be catastrophic. Help us reach more families.
Some Afghan women are going days without food as the country’s hunger crisis worsens by the day, Islamic Relief is warning.
Many people are getting increasingly desperate as food runs out, prices skyrocket and unemployment rises. With at least 12 million people facing extreme hunger and more than 3 million people just one step away from famine, it is imperative that food and other essential aid reaches these communities immediately, or the death toll could be catastrophic.
Mohammed Hamid Sattai, Islamic Relief’s Humanitarian Programme Coordinator in Afghanistan, said:
“The food situation is dire and getting worse by the day. The shops have finally reopened but prices have skyrocketed 10 to 20 per cent in little more than a week. People could barely put food on the table before but now many families are going down to one meal a day, with many women and children not even getting this. “Women often eat last and least anyway in poor families, but when food is scarce women will take less and less food and in some cases will have no food at all. When there is no meal for the mother, then there is even less for the children and this causes long-term health complications. The ongoing uncertainty means that most crucial aid efforts remain frozen even as the needs are growing. If urgent action isn’t taken soon to get food to those in need, we will see a flood of anaemic mothers and severely malnourished children. “We are already seeing people so desperate that they are asking shops to give them leftover leaves from vegetables that they don’t normally sell and picking flowers to make thin soups.”
“The food situation is dire and getting worse by the day. The shops have finally reopened but prices have skyrocketed 10 to 20 per cent in little more than a week. People could barely put food on the table before but now many families are going down to one meal a day, with many women and children not even getting this.
“Women often eat last and least anyway in poor families, but when food is scarce women will take less and less food and in some cases will have no food at all. When there is no meal for the mother, then there is even less for the children and this causes long-term health complications. The ongoing uncertainty means that most crucial aid efforts remain frozen even as the needs are growing. If urgent action isn’t taken soon to get food to those in need, we will see a flood of anaemic mothers and severely malnourished children.
“We are already seeing people so desperate that they are asking shops to give them leftover leaves from vegetables that they don’t normally sell and picking flowers to make thin soups.”