Afghanistan Emergency Appeal

What’s happening in Afghanistan right now?

Since the political changes in August 2021, an economic collapse – brought on by years of conflict, poor governance, drought and international sanctions – Afghanistan has become home to one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

Millions of Afghans are suffering and do not know where their next meal will come from. 

An astonishing 21.9 million people are in need of some form of assistance.

On 31 August 2025, a 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck a remote and mountainous region of eastern Afghanistan. The earthquake struck around midnight, burying families in their homes. When the shaking stopped, entire villages had been levelled to the ground.

Survivors spent the coming days sleeping outside, exposed to the elements, not knowing where their next meal would be coming from. More than 2,100 were killed. Thousands more were injured. More than half a million people in eastern Afghanistan were affected in some way by the earthquake.

Over a year on from the earthquake, thousands of families are still desperately trying to piece their lives back together.

Compounding the issues facing Afghanistan today is the returnee’s crisis. Large-scale returnee movements have seen more than 3.4 million Afghans returning to Afghanistan since April 2025, have placed extraordinary pressure on already overstretched communities and services.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), many families are returning to situation where they are without shelter, livelihoods, civil documentation or healthcare.

Women, children, older people, persons with disabilities and unaccompanied children face severe protection risks, while regions such as Herat, Nangarhar, Kandahar and Nimroz face growing strain on services.

How is Islamic Relief supporting vulnerable communities?

Islamic Relief has been working in Afghanistan for more than 23 years, providing emergency relief and implementing life-changing development projects that are a lifeline for some of the most vulnerable families.

In 2025 we provided emergency assistance to 517,620 returnees and supported 28,000 people with vital assistance since the devastating earthquake struck Kunar.

As we expand our lifesaving interventions in the wake of these disasters, we are appealing for support so we can remain a lifeline for vulnerable families. With your support we can help build a better future for people across Afghanistan.