A 6.0 magnitude earthquake in eastern Afghanistan has caused at least 800 deaths across four provinces and severely damaged homes and health infrastructure. 

Among the worst-affected areas, entire villages have been destroyed while heavy rains and flooding prior to the earthquake have left much of the mountainous areas inaccessible.  

“This latest earthquake is likely to dwarf the scale of the humanitarian needs caused by the Herat earthquakes of 2023,” Sherine Ibrahim, IRC Afghanistan Director, said. “Within the first twelve hours, at least 2000 people are reported to have been injured and entire roads and communities have been cut off from accessing nearby towns or hospitals.” 

Our response 

The IRC is planning an emergency response in Nangarhar and Laghman provinces where teams already have a deeply rooted presence. This will comprise mobile health teams that will deploy to the worst-affected areas and provide health services including first aid, maternal and newborn healthcare and the distribution of medicines and medical supplies. 

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The IRC in Afghanistan 

Afghanistan is already facing a severe humanitarian crisis, with over 22.9 million people in urgent need of aid, and the IRC is on the ground in the country providing critical assistance. 

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) began work in Afghanistan in 1988 and now works with thousands of villages across eight provinces. As Afghanistan struggles to recover from years of conflict and natural disasters, the IRC works with local communities to identify, plan and manage their own development projects, provides safe learning spaces in rural areas, basic health services to remote and hard to access communities, cash distribution provides uprooted families with tents, clean water, sanitation and other basic necessities, and helps people find livelihood opportunities as well as extensive resilience programming.    

Impacts of funding cuts 

The crisis in Afghanistan is also impacted by global funding cuts, putting millions of Afghans at greater risk of hunger, illness and displacement. Read more about the impact of funding cuts in Afghanistan and how you can help 

What is the IRC?

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) helps people affected by humanitarian crises to survive, recover and rebuild their lives. We deliver lasting impact by providing health care, helping children learn, and empowering individuals and communities to become self-reliant, always with a focus on the unique needs of women and girls. Our work spans more than 40 crisis-affected countries, and we provide resettlement, asylum, and integration services in communities across the United States and Europe, including supporting refugees rebuilding their lives in the UK.