Britain announces £1m relief for Afghan quake-hit regions

LONDON: The United Kingdom has announced £1 million in emergency funding support to help Afghan communities devastated by the recent earthquake, which killed hundreds and left thousands of others injured. 

The support will be delivered through international partners to make sure aid reaches those in desperate need, without going through the Taliban authorities.

Sunday’s disaster – one of Afghanistan’s worst earthquakes – has killed more than 800 people and injured at least 2,800, authorities said on Monday, as rescue operations continued. The country’s response to the crisis has been hampered by shrinking funding for Afghanistan, led by US aid cuts.

Britain’s £1 million ($1.35 million) assistance will be split between the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the International Red Cross (IFRC) to deliver critical healthcare and emergency supplies to Afghans in the most affected regions, according to a government statement.

“The UK remains committed to the people of Afghanistan, and this emergency funding will help our partners deliver critical healthcare and emergency supplies to the most hard-hit,” British Foreign Minister David Lammy said in the statement.