A rapid emergency allocation of US$10 million from United Nations pooled funds has been released to begin life-saving relief efforts in Afghanistan after a major earthquake, enabled by contributions to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund and the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund. Under the leadership of Humanitarian Coordinator Indrika Ratwatte, humanitarian teams are already delivering shelter, food, water, health care, child protection and logistics support, but agencies warn that far more funding is needed to reach all affected families.
Within hours of the disaster, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs mobilized pooled funding to kickstart immediate assistance. The joint allocation from CERF and the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund is intended to catalyze rapid relief operations and allow partners to move quickly into the hardest-hit areas.
Humanitarian teams, coordinated by Indrika Ratwatte, are prioritizing emergency shelter for displaced families and rapid food distributions to prevent hunger and malnutrition. Efforts to restore access to safe drinking water are under way to reduce the risk of waterborne disease, while medical teams are providing urgent health care to treat injuries and address other pressing health needs. Child protection services are also being deployed to support separated or traumatized children and to safeguard vulnerable young people.
Logistics support is playing a central role in the response, helping transport relief supplies and personnel to communities cut off by damaged infrastructure. Despite the initial funding release, humanitarian actors emphasize that the scale of needs far exceeds current resources. Aid agencies are appealing for additional funding to expand operations and ensure assistance reaches everyone affected, noting that timely support can mean the difference between delayed aid and immediate relief for families facing severe hardship.
