Powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake kills thousands near Herat, Afghanistan

A powerful quake struck at 11 a.m. on October 7th, injuring thousands and killing over 2,000 people  – a grim death toll that is likely to rise in the days ahead.

Many are still missing, and rescue missions are currently underway searching for the countless trapped under the rubble and debris. Up to 3,000 families are affected over three districts.

Islamic Relief is on the ground now. Our team based in Herat immediately travelled to the earthquake-affected area, providing health assistance and undertaking a needs assessment to determine what aid is most urgently needed.

Donate to Afghanistan Today

Millions of Afghans are on the verge of facing a catastrophic famine, and their lives are at stake. Afghanistan is experiencing one of the worst droughts in 27 years, and as a result food, water and supplies are extremely scarce. Donate to help Afghanistan through the Afghanistan Emergency Appeal today so we can get to those in most need.

The head of the World Food Programme has described the situation unfolding in Afghanistan as “the worst humanitarian crisis on earth”.

The situation is further compounded by a collapsing economy and rising poverty, and with the impact of a harsh winter season – the situation is getting more desperate by the day.

22 million people – more than half of the population – are facing acute food insecurity in the next three months.

Islamic Relief is on the ground delivering vital food pack, water storage kits and winter clothing, as well as providing medical care through health centres supporting displaced families. Please Donate to Islamic Relief’s Afghanistan Emergency now and help save lives.

The Crisis in Afghanistan

Years of protracted conflict, the impact of Covid-19, the effects of climate change and now the current political turmoil, has pushed Afghanistan into one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Millions of lives are at stake, and children are already dying of hunger. Donate to support emergency relief in Afghanistan.

Millions of Afghans, especially women, are going for days without food, desperately selling their belongings to be able to feed their families. With rampant unemployment and food prices spiraling out of control, current projections show that 97 percent of Afghans  will be in poverty within a year.

More than 8 million people are just one step away from famine, 3 million children under five are expected to suffer from malnutrition, and 1 million of these children are at risk of dying.

Families have resorted to selling anything they have left of value, and tragically, children as young as five are being forced to work for more than twelve hours a day to afford their families a meal.

Afghanistan Emergency Appeal: Islamic Relief is on the ground

Islamic Relief has been working in Afghanistan for over 20 years. We were one of the few charities working in Afghanistan during the military incursions, and we have offices in Kabul, Herat, Bamyan, Nangarhar and Balkh.

In recent months, our teams on the ground have distributed food packs to the most vulnerable families in Kabul, Nangarhar, Balkh, Bamiyan, and Kapisa provinces.

In addition to Islamic Relief Canada’s seasonal Qurbani, Ramadan and Winter projects, we also establish year-round programming that aims to improve the resilience and livelihoods of the Afghan people.

These projects include empowering women through socioeconomic opportunities, responding to food insecurity crises, and addressing the water, sanitation, hygiene and protection needs of vulnerable communities.

Your Donations in Action in Afghanistan

Because of your generous donations, Islamic Relief teams on the ground have already delivered over 800 food packs that are supporting thousands of people, alhamdulillah!

In the coming weeks we will continue to deliver even more food packs, shelter and hygiene support.

It is imperative that food and other essential aid reaches these communities immediately, or the death toll could be catastrophic. Help us reach more families.

Why the people of Afghanistan need your help

Many people are getting increasingly desperate as food runs out, prices skyrocket and unemployment rises. With at least 12 million people facing extreme hunger and more than 3 million people just one step away from famine, your donations for Afghans reach these communities immediately to provide urgent food assistance.

Residing in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sher Agha is a 19 year old son and the sole breadwinner of his household. He dropped out of school to work in the fields, harvesting crops and earning an income for his family of 4.

“I wish to have the opportunity to study in school. But because of the current crisis, I don’t go to school and instead work every day to support my family. I need to earn income and provide them with the basic needs of life.”

Sher Agha hopes to one day earn enough to meet his family’s basic needs. Still, with his father unable to work due to a terrible accident and his two older brothers murdered in conflict, Sher Agha finds it very difficult to make ends meet especially during a time of immense devastation.

“Most of the time, we don’t have enough food and some nights we all sleep with empty stomachs.”

Through Islamic Relief’s food pack distributions, Sher Agha and his family did not have to worry about buying food for a month. Instead, they were able to enjoy eating nutritious meals while allocating their finances to other essential needs. He gratefully shared, “Receiving the food pack has made me so happy knowing that it can support my family.”

How your donations are making a difference to the people of Afghanistan

Islamic Relief has been a leading charity in Afghanistan since 1992, and remained as one of the few aid agencies to continue providing emergency support during the military incursions.

Together with local communities, government agencies, and partners on the ground, we’re working to tackle food insecurity, poverty, poor sanitation and hygiene practices, and more.

The Afghanistan emergency has pivoted our response to improving access to food, hygiene services and facilities, livelihood opportunities, education, and increasing the resilience of communities to calamities.

Community remains central to our work, and we’re cultivating more collaboration and community-led work to make sure the needs of the Afghan communities we are serving are met first and foremost. This ensures the communities we are servicing retain the tools and knowledge to be self-sufficient and break the cycle of poverty.

Your donations to Afghanistan are funding vital emergency and development programs across the country, reaching over 68,420 Afghans.

Some recent examples of our work includes:

• Providing 2,500 food packs containing wheat flour, oil, rice, sugar and other staple items to communities in Nangarhar, Balkh, Herat and Kandahar

• In underserved communities, enrolling women in classes where they undergo literacy, vocational and life-skills training

• Installing clean water systems, handwashing points and latrines, as well as distributing water storage, hygiene items and dignity kits to vulnerable displaced people, returnees and host communities in settlement areas across the Nangarhar province
  

Islamic Relief works with communities to strengthen their resilience to calamities, and we provide vital emergency aid when disasters occur.

We help the impoverished access basic services, including education, water and sanitation, as well as healthcare. We provide lasting routes out of poverty through our sustainable development schemes. Our integrated approach to progress is transforming communities worldwide.

We tackle the root causes of poverty and make sure that the world’s most vulnerable people have real influence in both our programs and advocacy.

Our key values, of compassion, justice, custodianship, sincerity and excellence – a critical part of our Islamic faith - inspire us each and every day to create positive change and remember the sanctity of life.

In line with Islamic teachings on the value of every human life, we provide assistance to whoever needs it most, regardless of race, religion or gender. We work to transform and save lives of people in crisis both Canada and across the world.