Newsletter Medias
EN

10.10.2023

Swiss Solidarity goes into action following the devastating earthquake in Afghanistan

On Saturday 7 October, a violent 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck western Afghanistan. Early estimates place the death toll at close to 2,500, and the number of injured in the thousands. As Afghanistan had already been dealing with a grave humanitarian crisis before the quake struck, the country will not be able to recover from this latest disaster on its own. To bring urgent and vital aid to the Afghan people, Swiss Solidarity (SwS) is launching an appeal for solidarity.

© KEYSTONE / AP / OMID HAQJOO

A disaster going virtually unnoticed

With all eyes turned to the bloody escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, we wish to draw the public’s attention to the drama currently playing out in Afghanistan. Last Saturday, the country was struck by a violent earthquake, likely the deadliest in 25 years. This disaster comes at a time when the country is suffering through a severe humanitarian crisis that began in 2021. With winter just around the corner, the situation for the local population is even more precarious—these people urgently need food, drinking water, medication and shelter.

Our partner NGOs working in Afghanistan

Four of SwS’s partner NGOs are already active in Afghanistan: Save the Children, Medair, Médecins sans frontières (MSF) and Terre des Hommes (Tdh). Their work is currently focusing on access to basic health services, maternal and child health, and access to drinking water and food. After the temblor, the NGOs immediately set about assessing the needs of the affected communities and began implementing emergency aid measures. For instance, MSF’s teams set up five medical tents at Herat regional hospital, which enabled them to treat up to 80 patients in the first, critical hours following the earthquake.

An unremitting humanitarian crisis

We began supporting the people of Afghanistan from the moment the Taliban regime took power in 2021. Since then, the country’s economic situation has languished and the entire Afghan population is facing a severe food crisis. Despite the already dire situation they were in before this latest disaster, those who have survived the earthquake now also have to deal with its catastrophic consequences.

“In the face of this latest tragedy to befall the Afghan people, we are compelled to show our solidarity and assure them that we stand with them.”
Miren Bengoa, Director of Swiss Solidarity

Thank you so much for your solidarity with those affected.

srg ssr
#

If you have any questions or would like to know more about our Foundation, please contact us. We will be happy to answer you.

Contact Form Where to find us