Afghanistan has deployed special forces to rescue victims of two earthquakes that claimed more than 1,400 lives, amid warnings that food aid could run out within four weeks due to lack of funding and international support.

Kabul – Reuters

On Wednesday, Afghanistan airlifted special forces to rescue survivors trapped under rubble in areas devastated by two earthquakes this week that killed over 1,400 people. The UN World Food Programme warned that food aid for victims would soon run out without urgent funding.

Dozens of special forces are being airlifted to locations where helicopters cannot land, to help transport the injured to safe areas in what relief groups describe as a race against time to save those trapped under debris.

The World Food Programme also warned on Wednesday that time is running out for those who survived the devastating earthquakes in the remote eastern regions of the poor country.

John Elif, WFP director in Afghanistan, said the program has funding and stocks sufficient for only the next four weeks.

Elif added, “Four weeks is not enough even to meet the basic and essential needs of the earthquake-affected population, let alone help victims rebuild their lives.”

UN financial data indicates that WFP funding for Afghanistan this year is just under $300 million, down from $1.7 billion in 2022, the first full year of Taliban rule.

Rescue and relief resources are scarce in the country of 42 million, suffering from war, poverty, and declining support. Afghanistan received limited global aid after the disaster.

The first earthquake, measuring 6.0 magnitude, struck the Kunar and Nangarhar regions around midnight Sunday, centered at a depth of 10 kilometers, causing widespread destruction. It was one of the strongest earthquakes Afghanistan has experienced in recent years.

The second earthquake, with a magnitude of 5.5 on Tuesday, caused panic and hampered rescue efforts, as rockslides from mountains blocked roads leading to villages in remote areas.

The Taliban administration announced the death toll had risen to 1,457, with 3,394 injured and more than 6,700 homes destroyed, while the UN warned the number could rise with people still trapped under rubble.

Ehsanullah Ehsan, head of the Disaster Management in Kunar, said via text message, “A camp has been set up to coordinate the distribution of supplies and emergency aid through service and relief committees.” He reported two centers supervising the transport of the injured, burial of the dead, and rescue of survivors.

Elif said, “What we really need is air support and helicopters. WFP had a helicopter a few months ago… but unfortunately funding cuts ended its presence.”

Afghanistan has been severely affected by former US President Donald Trump’s cuts to foreign aid funding, with the country’s isolation increasing due to donor frustration over the Taliban’s harsh policies towards women and restrictions on aid workers.