Afghanistan needs $129 million for quake recovery, UN says, as donor support falls

KARACHI: A UN-led assessment says Afghanistan requires $128.8 million to restore housing, schools and key services in its quake-hit eastern provinces, warning that reconstruction faces “significant shortfalls” as donor support for the country falls sharply.

The Joint Rapid Recovery Needs Assessment (JRRNA), conducted with the World Bank, EU and ADB, outlines a three-year plan to rebuild homes, health facilities, water systems and farmland in the eastern provinces of Kunar, Nangarhar and Laghman.

It comes as aid to Afghanistan shrinks, with the UN estimating a $3.2 billion need this year and a similar requirement in 2026, less than half of which has been funded.

“The earthquakes-hit communities are already strained by drought, mass returns and a sharp economic contraction,” UN Resident Representative Stephen Rodriguez told Reuters. “There is very limited capacity left to cope with another shock.”

Spokespeople for the Taliban administration and the government’s disaster management authority did not respond to requests for comment.

Afghanistan needs $129 million for quake recovery, UN says, as donor support falls

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