Aid Gaps Threaten Afghan Quake Victims as Winter Looms

Post by : Raina Nasser

Communities across northern Afghanistan are confronting a worsening humanitarian emergency as winter approaches, after powerful earthquakes rendered thousands homeless. Survivors are racing to secure shelter, warm clothing and basic supplies to survive subzero conditions.

The most recent tremor, measured at magnitude 6.3, hit Samangan and Balkh provinces and claimed at least 27 lives. The epicentre in Samangan’s Khulm district levelled numerous houses. Residents such as Gulabuddin are mourning relatives while managing injuries and the loss of possessions. He warned of the peril ahead for his family with young children as temperatures drop.

Only weeks earlier, a shallow 6.0 quake had caused far more catastrophic loss, killing more than 2,200 people — one of the deadliest recent events in Afghanistan. In Kunar province, survivors including Bazarga Safay are crammed into flimsy tents that offer little protection from winter. Many, fearful of aftershocks, sleep outdoors and face night-time lows that can reach around -20°C (-4°F).

Humanitarian assistance has been limited. International agencies report constrained support after several major donors, including the United States, scaled back funding. While some makeshift camps have been set up at the foot of Mazar Dara mountain, roughly 77 percent of affected households say they will remain in their villages over winter because they cannot afford alternative accommodation or lack options.

Taliban authorities assert that reconstruction plans are in motion, with dozens of houses proposed. Observers on the ground, however, see little tangible progress. Survivors are pressing for permanent rebuilds using concrete and brick to reduce future collapse risk. As Sayid Wali Safay put it, they want to rebuild in the same locations but with much stronger materials.

With heavy rains creating muddy tracks and winter conditions imminent, earthquake-affected populations face a dual threat from continuing seismic activity and lethal cold. Immediate deliveries of winter clothing, blankets and robust shelter remain essential to avert further tragedy.