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Following the strong earthquake that hit north-eastern Afghanistan, the EU has approved €1 million in humanitarian emergency funding to address the most urgent needs of the affected population. This money will go to humanitarian partners that are already carrying out relief operations on the ground.
In addition, the EU will donate around 130 tonnes of relief supplies from its own humanitarian stocks. This includes essentials such as tents and other shelter items, clothes, medical supplies and material to purify water. The supplies will be delivered via 2 EU-funded humanitarian flights that are scheduled to arrive to Kabul later this week.
Furthermore, the EU has activated the Copernicus satellite service to produce emergency maps, which will help in the delivery of the aid.
This new assistance comes in addition to the €161 million in humanitarian aid already allocated in 2025 for humanitarian organisations in the country. EU humanitarian aid in Afghanistan is solely channelled through humanitarian partners.
The EU has been organising humanitarian flights to Afghanistan since 2021, including several following the deadly 2023 earthquake in Herat, which have already carried approximately 2,000 tonnes of live-saving items.
Commissioner for Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, said:
‘As this new earthquake in Afghanistan puts additional strain on an already dire humanitarian situation, the EU is stepping in to help. Like we did after the strong earthquake of 2023, the EU is mobilising all available resources to assist the impacted population. This aid package will bring much needed immediate relief to people in the affected areas, that in the past months have also seen large arrivals of returnees from Pakistan.’
Background
On 31 August, a magnitude-6 earthquake hit the north-eastern provinces of Kunar, Nangharhar and Laghman in Afghanistan. At least 800 people have died, according to existing reports, though these figures are likely to rise as further information becomes available.
Afghanistan remains one of the largest humanitarian crises in the world, with nearly 23 million people estimated to need humanitarian assistance this year. Some 12.6 million people are experiencing acute food insecurity, and mass repatriations of Afghans from neighbouring countries in past months have further increased the population’s needs.
The EU has provided life-saving assistance to the population for decades, with approximately €2 billion in humanitarian funding since 1994.
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