KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Japan has pledged $2.33 million to assist survivors of last month’s devastating earthquake in eastern Afghanistan, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced Friday.
In a press release, the ministry said $1 million from the Japanese government will be delivered through the World Food Programme (WFP) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
An additional $1.33 million from the Japanese organization “Japan Platform” will be distributed by Japanese NGOs to provide non-food assistance, including health, sanitation, and hygiene support, the ministry added.
The 6.0 magnitude quake struck Kunar, Nangarhar, and Laghman provinces on August 31, with Kunar sustaining the most severe damage. According to the United Nations, around 2,000 people were killed, mostly children, nearly 4,000 were injured, and more than 6,700 homes were destroyed. The quake and its several aftershocks have also damaged health centers, schools, and water infrastructure, compounding an already dire humanitarian situation in the region.
UN agencies and aid groups have called for urgent international support, warning that many survivors remain without shelter or access to basic necessities. Women and children are among the most vulnerable.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has requested $139.6 million to assist nearly 500,000 people affected by the disaster over the next four months.
