Urgent funding is needed to scale up life-saving support for families forced to sleep outdoors following powerful earthquakes that recently struck eastern Afghanistan, the UN’s migration agency said yesterday.
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) is appealing for $16.8 million, in line with the United Nations joint humanitarian appeal, to provide emergency shelter and health care for 134,000 people.
“Families have lost everything and are now sleeping in the open, without proper shelter, food or clean water,” said IOM Deputy Director General Ugochi Daniels.
The 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck on the night of August 31 into September 1, killing more than 2,200 people, destroying more than 7,000 homes and affecting nearly half a million people, according to IOM.
The agency warned that the situation could worsen without urgent support as winter approaches, with women and children facing particular protection risks due to unsafe conditions, lack of privacy and limited access to basic services.
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