UN Press Conference: Afghanistan Earthquake Response and Overlapping Crises

Earthquake Impact and Immediate Response

• 💔 A 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan on August 31st, causing widespread destruction in mountainous communities across Nangahar, Kunar, and Lamman provinces.
• 📈 Latest assessments indicate over 2,200 lives lost, nearly 3,700 injured, and at least 6,700 homes destroyed, affecting approximately 84,000 people.
• 💧 Critical infrastructure, including schools, health facilities, and 68 major water sources, have been destroyed, impacting access to safe water for thousands.
• 🌾 Close to a million livestock are also affected, with the poorest households in fragile dwellings suffering the most.
• 🆘 Emergency response is scaling up with the distribution of tents, non-food items, mobile health teams, and food assistance, but more support is urgently needed.

Overlapping Crises and Long-Term Resilience

• ⚠️ This tragedy compounds multiple existing crises in Afghanistan, including recent flash floods, severe droughts, and the return of large numbers of displaced people.
• 📉 75% of the population is struggling to meet basic needs, facing a "perfect economic storm" with high poverty and unemployment.
• 🏘️ Returnees and host communities, already under pressure, are facing even greater challenges, necessitating a response beyond immediate relief.
• 🛠️ The focus is shifting towards recovery and building resilience, including debris clearing, safer home reconstruction, restoring infrastructure, and reviving local markets and businesses.
• 💰 UNDP plans to implement community-driven recovery initiatives, including cash-for-work programs and support for small businesses and farmers.

Addressing Restrictions on Women and Aid Delivery

• 🚫 While broad restrictions on women and girls in Afghanistan impact aid efforts and long-term recovery, there is no evidence of a systematic ban on women participating in relief or receiving medical care following the earthquake.
• 🏥 Reports of women being prevented from receiving emergency medical care appear to be isolated incidents, not a systematic policy.
• 🤝 The UN is monitoring the situation closely and advocating for safe, equal, and unimpeded access for women and girls to all services.
• 🚁 Aid delivery is challenging due to damaged roads, but efforts are underway using heavy machinery, helicopters, and foot patrols, with cooperation from de facto authorities.

Call for International Support

• 📢 An emergency appeal will be launched on September 8th, seeking urgent international support for both immediate humanitarian assistance and longer-term recovery investments.
• ⏳ With winter approaching, swift action is critical to provide shelter, food, water, and healthcare to tens of thousands of families living in makeshift shelters.
• 🌍 The UN stands in solidarity with the Afghan people, emphasizing that international support is critical for rebuilding and restoring hope and stability.