The White House on Wednesday said that President Biden is working to respond to a devastating earthquake in eastern Afghanistan by assessing how U.S. humanitarian assistance can address immediate needs.
At least 1,000 people are believed to have been killed and nearly 1,000 injured after a 5.9 magnitude earthquake hit the country on Tuesday. Both tolls are expected to rise.
“President Biden is monitoring developments and has directed USAID and other federal government partners to assess U.S. response options to help those most affected,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in a statement.
“Our humanitarian partners are already delivering medical care and shelter supplies on the ground. We are committed to continuing our support for the needs of the Afghan people as we stand with them during and in the aftermath of this terrible tragedy.”
The U.S. withdrew its military and diplomatic presence in Afghanistan in August 2021 in a chaotic and deadly operation, but has provided $720 million in humanitarian assistance between that time and March 2022.
The Taliban, the hard-line Islamists who are isolated globally since taking over the country amid the U.S. pullout, is blocked from accessing those funds, which are delivered to humanitarian groups and international organizations working on the ground.
U.S. funding includes emergency cash, shelter, trauma care and essential health services, water, sanitation and hygiene assistance, protection and gender-based violence services, multisectoral assistance, assistance to refugee populations in neighboring countries and assistance for internally displaced people and returning Afghans to reintegrate in the country, according to the State Department.
The devastation wrought by the earthquake comes on top of what the United Nations describes as one of the worst humanitarian crises globally, where half the population, an estimated 20 million people, are facing acute hunger, according to a United Nations report published in May.
While the U.N. has made inroads in easing the food crisis, a lingering drought and economic crisis is threatening lives in the country.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres called for solidarity to aid Afghans and said his organization is “fully mobilized.”
“Our teams are already on the ground assessing the needs and providing initial support. We count on the international community to help support the hundreds of families hit by this latest disaster. Now is the time for solidarity,” he said.