Afghanistan's isolation is making earthquake relief even harder

A boy carries a deceased relative in eastern Afghanistan's Kunar province on Monday. Such distressing images are reminiscent of previous earthquakes. AFP

When Afghanistan’s cricketers joined their UAE opponents in a minute’s silence before their tri-nations match in Sharjah this week, it reflected how Sunday’s deadly 6.0-magnitude earthquake near Jalalabad deeply affected Afghans around the world, and the many people who care deeply for the country.

That sense of shock and concern was swiftly translated into action. On Monday, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed directed teams from Abu Dhabi Civil Defence, the National Guard and the Joint Operations Command to assist with the response to the earthquake in eastern Afghanistan, a disaster that the Taliban authorities say has claimed at least 1,400 lives with many more injured.

The distressing images coming out of Afghanistan are reminiscent of the country’s last major earthquake. In October 2023, Herat province was hit by several violent tremors that cost at least 1,500 lives. Then, as now, immediate grief was compounded by persistent challenges such as lost homes and livelihoods, the deaths of family breadwinners, and long-term injuries.

UAE sends search-and-rescue teams to Afghanistan after earthquake kills more than 800 people

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This is the third serious earthquake to strike the country since the Taliban took over in 2021. The Afghan authorities deserve credit for the speed with which they have rallied their resources to mount search and rescue operations. But their response is hindered – unnecessarily – by Afghanistan’s continuing political and diplomatic isolation.

As villagers join the rescue efforts, in some cases using their bare hands to clear debris, billions of dollars of Afghan Central Bank assets remain frozen overseas. Meanwhile, the international community has failed to develop a pragmatic and operational understanding with the Afghan administration. Imposed isolation and a lack of joined-up thinking stymie rescue and rebuilding efforts. These issues also render discussions about measures such as earthquake preparedness almost academic – a serious problem in a quake-prone country with fragile rural infrastructure.

This situation is not helped by the Afghan government’s ongoing acrimonious relationship with the UN and international NGOs. In January, the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said that its partners in the country reported 127 incidents of interference in their work that month – including “violence against humanitarian personnel, assets and facilities”. The authorities were blamed for more than 80 per cent of such incidents.

Supportive nations such as the UAE have stood by Afghanistan in the past and will continue to do so

Earthquake response is a difficult technical and logistical endeavour, something that takes consistent funding and preparation. By maintaining a hostile relationship with many outside aid providers, the Taliban make the challenge of responding effectively to such natural disasters even more difficult.

Ultimately, if a better way forward is not found, Afghanistan’s people will continue to pay the price for the actions of a few. Supportive nations such as the UAE have stood by them in the past and will continue to do so. The cascade of problems facing an already-impoverished population make it imperative that Afghanistan’s rulers and the international community find a way to work together. The biting Afghan winter will arrive in a matter of months and there is little time to wait.