Afghanistan Times
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KABUL – China and Australia have pledged fresh humanitarian aid to Afghanistan following Sunday’s devastating earthquake that has killed more than 2,200 people and left thousands injured across eastern provinces.
Beijing confirmed on Thursday it will provide 50 million yuan (nearly $7 million) in emergency relief, including tents, blankets and food supplies urgently needed in disaster-hit areas. “This aid will directly support those who have lost everything in the quake,” said Li Ming, spokesman for the China International Development Cooperation Agency.
Australia also announced a package of 1 million Australian dollars ($650,000), which will be delivered through the UN’s Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund. Foreign Minister Penny Wong emphasized that the support will prioritize the most vulnerable communities, especially women and girls. Canberra has contributed more than 260 million Australian dollars ($170 million) to Afghanistan since 2021.
According to officials in Kabul, the death toll has risen to 2,205, with at least 3,640 injured. Most casualties are in Kunar province, where mud-brick homes collapsed under the force of the 6.0 magnitude quake. Authorities fear the toll may rise further as reports come in from Nangarhar, Laghman and Panjshir provinces.
International relief efforts are gathering pace. Türkiye and Pakistan have already dispatched large consignments of shelter materials, food, and medical supplies, while Iran, India, China, and Western countries have pledged additional support. Aid groups warn, however, that the scale of destruction requires far greater international assistance to prevent the crisis from deepening.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported that the earthquake struck late Sunday night near Jalalabad at a shallow depth of 8 kilometers, collapsing homes while families were asleep. It is the third major quake to hit Afghanistan since 2021, underscoring the country’s vulnerability amid economic collapse and limited humanitarian resources.
