RASC News Agency: Following Sunday night’s devastating earthquake that ripped through Afghanistan’s eastern provinces most severely Kunar the governments of France and Canada have voiced solidarity with the victims and pledged emergency humanitarian aid. Their announcements arrive amid mounting criticism of the Taliban’s inability to respond effectively to the unfolding catastrophe. On Tuesday, September 2, Ottawa and Paris released official statements affirming their readiness to channel assistance through established humanitarian partners. The Government of Canada stated: “Canada is profoundly saddened by the tragic loss of life and the widespread destruction caused by the earthquake in Afghanistan. Our hearts are with all those affected, and we stand prepared to support our humanitarian partners working on the ground.”
France echoed this position in a separate communique, declaring: “France extends its full solidarity to the people of Afghanistan in this new ordeal and reaffirms its commitment, through humanitarian action, to supporting Afghanistani women and men during this crisis.” Meanwhile, Iran also announced emergency assistance for affected families in Kunar and Nangarhar. Iran’s ambassador to Kabul, Ali-Reza Bikdeli, traveled to Kunar on Tuesday, where he met survivors and underscored Tehran’s pledge to coordinate the swift delivery of aid to devastated communities. These international gestures of compassion come at a time when thousands of civilians in eastern Afghanistan remain trapped in a desperate struggle for survival. Entire villages have been reduced to rubble, families are mourning their dead beneath collapsed homes, and survivors are pleading for urgent medical care, food, and shelter.
Yet, despite the influx of global sympathy and pledges of aid, the Taliban authorities stand accused of gross negligence, mismanagement, and an almost total absence of disaster preparedness. Rescue workers and local residents report that no systematic evacuation plans, medical infrastructure, or emergency supplies were in place before the earthquake struck. Instead, Taliban officials have been largely preoccupied with propaganda announcements and rigid restrictions, leaving ordinary Afghanistani families to bear the burden of both natural calamity and political failure. One resident of Asadabad, interviewed by media, expressed his frustration: “We buried our children with our bare hands because no equipment and no doctors were sent to us. The Taliban arrived only to take photos, not to help. We have been abandoned.” Another survivor from Nurgal district added: “International aid is coming, but it does not reach us. The Taliban keep everything under their control, and we are left hungry and homeless.”
Humanitarian experts argue that the Taliban’s systematic exclusion of female medical staff has further crippled relief efforts, particularly in provinces where women and children make up the majority of casualties. Doctors Without Borders and other aid organizations have long warned that the Taliban’s gender apartheid policies would endanger emergency responses a warning now tragically realized in Kunar. As Canada, France, and other international actors mobilize to deliver relief, the unfolding tragedy underscores a grim reality: Afghanistanis are once again forced to endure the compounded weight of natural disaster and Taliban misrule. The global outpouring of solidarity highlights not only the compassion of the international community but also the vacuum of governance within Afghanistan itself where survival now depends less on those in power and more on the world’s willingness to bypass them in order to reach the people.
