UK for UNHCR launches urgent appeal after devasting Afghanistan Earthquake

London, 1 September 2025 – A 6.0-magnitude earthquake has struck eastern Afghanistan, killing hundreds of people and destroying entire communities.

UNHCR’s national charity partner, UK for UNHCR, has launched an emergency public appeal calling for support, as UNHCR’s local teams and partners in Afghanistan race to support communities impacted by this devastating earthquake.

This disaster comes as Afghanistan is already facing one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises. Nearly half the population, 22.9 million people, are in need of life-saving aid, and 3.2 million are displaced by conflict. The earthquake has worsened an already dire situation leaving communities vulnerable amid poverty, food insecurity, and collapsing essential services. While human rights, particularly for women and girls, remain under attack.

Search and rescue operations are underway and UNHCR is on the ground, mobilising emergency shelter and life-saving relief items to affected areas like Kunar.

Emma Cherniavsky, Chief Executive of UK for UNHCR, said:  

“This earthquake has devastated communities already living through unimaginable hardship as the people of Afghanistan continue to face an acute humanitarian crisis. Families have lost everything, and many survivors will now be forced into sleeping in the open, exposed to the elements and other risks such as flooding. 

“Search and rescue operations are underway, every second counts. UNHCR and its local partners are moving quickly to deliver life-saving assistance and protect the most vulnerable, but more support is urgently needed.”

To support UK for UNHCR’s emergency Afghanistan Earthquake appeal visit https://unrefugees.org.uk/afghanrelief

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For more information, please contact:

Aisha Musad, [email protected], 0208 183 0121

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About UK for UNHCR   

UK for UNHCR is the UN Refugee Agency’s national charity partner for the UK. We build solidarity, create partnerships and raise funds across the UK to help deliver global humanitarian relief for refugees through UNHCR’s work. unrefugees.org.uk    

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, leads international action to protect people forced to flee their homes because of conflict and persecution. It delivers lifesaving assistance like shelter, food and water, helps safeguard fundamental human rights and develops solutions that ensure people have a safe place to call home where they can build a better future. UNHCR also works to ensure that stateless people are granted a nationality. www.unhcr.org   

UK for UNHCR is a registered charity in England and Wales (registered charity number 1183415).