Sanctions stall aid to Afghanistan

The powerful earthquake that struck the eastern provinces of Afghanistan has left a trail of death and devastation. It was followed by aftershocks and another tremor of high intensity. Early estimates put the death toll at over 1,500 and the number of injured at over 3,000 – a disaster deadlier than the 2023 earthquake. It takes days, and sometimes weeks, to ascertain the casualties of an earthquake because removing the debris and locating people is not easy. This is particularly so in a country like Afghanistan, where connectivity and communication are poor. The earthquake has created a humanitarian crisis. Afghanistan is used to earthquakes, situated as it is in the Hindukush region, where tectonic activity is strong. Given the nature of the terrain and the poor state of preparedness, an earthquake in Afghanistan causes more damage than elsewhere. The latest incident also demonstrates this.

The worst-hit areas are the provinces of Kunar and Nangarhar in eastern Afghanistan. Rescue efforts are going on to locate bodies and survivors. It is a difficult task in Afghanistan, which is short of men and resources for an effort of this scale. The administration and the volunteers are in for a stiff challenge. With roads blocked and communication lines broken, helicopters are the only means of transport to shift people and to move medicines and relief material. Some areas are inaccessible to even the helicopters. Rescuers are struggling to reach mountainous areas in adverse weather. Many villages and settlements have disappeared under rubble.

The Taliban government has called for international aid as it is facing an economic crisis and cannot mobilise the resources needed for relief and rehabilitation. The administration is also struggling with a large number of Afghans deported by Iran and Pakistan. It is facing multiple sanctions because of its hardline policies, such as a ban on female education. The UN has called for international aid to be extended to the country on humanitarian grounds. India has dispatched emergency aid, including food, medicines, and materials, and more such consignments are being moved. Some of the other countries have also contributed, but the world needs to respond better and faster. Britain has set up funding support which it wants to reach the affected people, but not through the Taliban government. The US has expressed condolences for the loss of life. The world must set aside differences with the Taliban government and opposition to its policies, and extend aid and support to the people in their hour of need.