Kabul/Kuala Lumpur/Geneva 1 October 2025 – One month after a powerful 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck southeastern Afghanistan, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is warning that tens of thousands of families remain without adequate shelter as winter rapidly approaches. The Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS), supported by IFRC and partners, has reached nearly 90,000 people with emergency health care, shelter, food, and cash assistance — but the needs remain immense.
The earthquake, which devastated Kunar and Nangarhar provinces and affected neighbouring Laghman and Nuristan, killed more than 2,200 people and left over 8,000 homes destroyed or damaged. Entire communities were flattened in remote, mountainous districts. With more than 1.3 million people directly and indirectly affected, many families are still living in tents, makeshift shelters, or under the open sky.
In the immediate aftermath, ARCS mobilized 13 Mobile Health Teams, supported by the IFRC network, providing more than 5,900 outpatient consultations, maternal health care, and psychosocial support. Ambulance services and helicopter evacuations have transferred the severely injured to hospitals in Jalalabad and Kunar, while community volunteers have been delivering first aid and hygiene promotion in hard-to-reach areas. The IFRC has also collaborated closely with the ICRC in its interventions, access to hard-to-reach areas, and external engagement.
Temporary camps have been established in Kunar Province, hosting more than 11,000 displaced people, with tents, hot meals, clean water, and essential household items. To date, 15,000 people have received cash assistance to meet urgent needs, while thousands more have received blankets, tarpaulins, hygiene kits, and kitchen sets. Relief efforts have also focused on waste management, safe water provision, and restoring vital access roads blocked by landslides.
“Thanks to the dedication of Afghan Red Crescent volunteers and the support of our partners, thousands of families have received lifesaving help. But the reality is that much more is needed,” said Joy Singhal, Interim Head of Delegation, IFRC Afghanistan. “As winter sets in, tents are not enough. Families need safe, warm, and dignified shelter to survive the freezing months ahead.”
The IFRC Emergency Appeal seeks CHF 25 million, but only 31 per cent has been covered so far. Without additional support, IFRC and ARCS will not be able to scale up shelter construction, winterization, and longer-term recovery efforts. Immediate priorities include winter-ready shelters, food and cash assistance, clean water, health services, and protection for women, children, and the elderly. Over the medium term, families will need transitional housing, livelihoods support, and improved water and sanitation systems to rebuild their lives.
Time and again, the people of Afghanistan are grappling with multiple crises at once. The IFRC is running concurrent operations to support families returning from Pakistan and Iran, while also addressing widespread malnutrition and the impacts of recurrent flooding. These overlapping emergencies deepen the vulnerability of earthquake-affected families and stretch already limited resources.
“The Afghan people are showing extraordinary resilience, but they cannot do this alone,” said Molavi Ruhullah Mohmand, Acting Secretary General of ARCS. “We urge the international community to stand in solidarity and help us ensure that no family spends this winter without a roof over their heads.”
The IFRC is calling on governments, donors, and partners to step up support urgently. Without decisive action in the coming weeks, thousands of families will face the bitter Afghan winter in unsafe conditions, risking further loss of life.
In Kuala Lumpur:
Afrhill Rances, +60 19 271 3641
In Geneva:
Nora Peter, +36 70 953 7709