UK pledges £1m aid for Afghanistan earthquake victims

LONDON: Britain has promised £1 million in emergency aid to help people in Afghanistan after a powerful earthquake left families grieving and communities shattered. 

The money will go through international partners to make sure vital healthcare and supplies reach those most in need, as the UK seeks to ensure that the funding does not land in the hands of the Taliban administration.

Sunday’s disaster – one of Afghanistan’s worst earthquakes – has killed more than 800 people and injured at least 2,800, authorities said on Monday, as rescue operations continued. 

The country’s response to the crisis has been hampered by shrinking funding for Afghanistan, led by US aid cuts.

Britain’s £1 million ($1.35 million) assistance will be split between the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the International Red Cross (IFRC) to deliver critical healthcare and emergency supplies to Afghans in the most affected regions, according to a government statement.

“The UK remains committed to the people of Afghanistan, and this emergency funding will help our partners deliver critical healthcare and emergency supplies to the most hard-hit,” British foreign minister David Lammy said in the statement.