Widespread Devastation
A massive earthquake has caused widespread devastation in eastern Afghanistan, compounding the struggle for survival for communities already mired in poverty and deprivation. Over 1,000 deaths were reported in the 24 hours immediately after the 5.9 magnitude quake struck on Tuesday 21 June 2022. Hundreds of homes were reduced to rubble in landslides and villages in remote regions razed to the ground in the deadliest earthquake to strike in two decades.
Homes Destroyed in Seconds
Afghanistan is one of the world’s poorest countries, with about half of its 40m population experiencing acute hunger (source: UN). The latest tragedy has only increased those struggles. Already scratching a living and with meagre resources, thousands of families have been left injured, homeless and displaced. Homes in many rural areas are unstable or poorly built, crumbling in seconds during the earthquake which was felt as far away as Pakistan and India.
Helping Through the Crisis
With hospitals unable to cope with the flood of injured and thousands of already-impoverished families left with nothing but the clothes they were wearing, there is a desperate need for humanitarian aid. Our team in Afghanistan is delivering emergency supplies of food, shelter, blankets, mattresses and other aid. It is only with your support that we can provide urgently-needed assistance to thousands of families suffering in this humanitarian crisis.
