A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck northern Afghanistan on 2 November.
With its epicentre near the town of Khulm, this earthquake has left 20 people dead more than 300 injured. Many buildings and homes have been damaged or destroyed, and the number of casualties is expected to rise.
This was proceeded by a magnitude 6.0 earthquake which struck on 31 August southeastern Afghanistan, close to the Pakistan border. This earthquake left more than 1,400 people dead, 5,412 injured, and destroying thousands of homes causing a humanitarian disaster.
Following these two disasters, donations are urgently needed to support those affected, especially the most marginalised women and girls.
ActionAid and our partners are currently assessing the situation following both earthquakes to ensure we can respond in a way that helps as many people as possible.
As you read this, thousands of families are without shelter, food or access to medical care.
Infrastructure and schools have been damaged. Hospitals are becoming overwhelmed caring for injured people, with beds, medicines and blood in short supply.
Aftershocks continue to hit the area, causing further devastation. While those left without shelter are facing the elements of the country's harsh mountain climate.
Please donate to our appeal to help ensure vital aid is delivered to those affected as soon as possible.
How ActionAid teams are planning to respond
Your donations will help ActionAid urgently distribute tents, blankets, hygiene kits, and other essential non-food items. Emergency food rations and clean water will be provided to displaced families, alongside the installation of temporary latrines and handwashing stations to prevent the spread of disease.
ActionAid's immediate priorities are to save lives, restore access to services, and support communities in building resilience after the earthquake.
Srikanta Misra, Country Director of ActionAid Afghanistan, said of the disaster: “More than 12,000 people have been directly affected by the earthquake, and the needs are immense.
"Sadly, the affected areas were already grappling with several challenges, including food shortages, with one in five people facing hunger and nearly three million suffering from severe malnutrition.”
Looking towards early recovery, our teams will work with communities to rehabilitate damaged WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) infrastructure, including water points and latrines.
All of ActionAid’s interventions will be gender-sensitive and disability-inclusive. We will ensure women and girls are actively consulted and supported, recognising the heightened risks they face. Feedback and complaint mechanisms will allow communities to shape the response, while coordination with humanitarian clusters and local authorities will ensure effective delivery.
ActionAid already has a presence in Afghanistan, working with local women-led organisations to keep women and girls at the centre of our strategic priorities. Due to this existing presence, we are well-placed to ensure aid is delivered to the areas that need it.
About ActionAid
ActionAid is an international charity that works with women and girls living in poverty.
Our dedicated local staff are changing the world with women and girls. We are ending violence and fighting poverty so that all women, everywhere, can create the future they want.
We operate in rural and urban communities across Asia, Africa and Latin America.
We're committed to ending the cycle of violence in communities around the world, enabling women's economic empowerment, and supporting women's and girls' rights during humanitarian crises.
Where your money goes
90% of your donation will go directly to appeal.
10% of your donation will be retained for ActionAid’s Emergency Action Fund which will only be used for ensuring we are prepared and able to respond quickly and more effectively to future emergencies and crises.
If the total amount raised for this appeal exceeds the funds needed for the response, ActionAid will transfer the remaining balance to the Emergency Action Fund. All Gift Aid claimed on donations will fund ActionAid’s work across the world, wherever the need is greatest.
Page updated 4 November 2025