QRCS in Afghan quake relief campaign

The Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) has launched an emergency relief intervention to help the families affected by the recent 6.0-magnitude earthquake in Kunar province, eastern Afghanistan, a statement said on Tuesday.The calamity left behind more than 5,840 casualties, destroyed thousands of homes, and displaced many locals, especially in remote mountainous villages and inaccessible areas.The project is aimed at providing direct support for approximately 7,600 affected families, or 53,200 persons, as well as indirect support for the surrounding local community to mitigate the impact of the disaster and enhance the resilience of the affected populations.With a budget of QR2mn, phase one involves food and nonfood aid for 33,200 beneficiaries and health care services for 20,000 beneficiaries.It will be implemented under the supervision of the QRCS’s office in Afghanistan, in collaboration with the Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS), and in co-ordination with local authorities and international clusters to ensure integration, avoid duplication, and maximise the outcomes.QRCS secretary-general Faisal Mohamed al-Emadi said that the first phase will be followed by an early recovery phase, with more sustainable development projects, including the distribution of food parcels, sponsorship and care for orphans, medications for patients with kidney failure, livelihood enhancement for poor families, and digging of water wells.To ensure transparency and accountability, the beneficiaries and local community representatives will be engaged in all steps of implementation, with the QRCS’s team in Afghanistan making regular field visits to monitor timeline and implementation plan.Afghanistan remains in one of the world’s most complex humanitarian crises, being among the most disaster-prone Asian countries due to its geographical location in an active seismic zone, along with frequent droughts, floods, and landslides.According to the Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan 2025 (HNRP) issued by the United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), between 23mn and 28mn people – more than two-thirds of the population – are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.It is estimated that 48% of the population lives below the poverty line, while approximately 62% suffer from multidimensional poverty, including health, education, and housing.To help provide food, shelter, and medical care for the victims of the Afghanistan earthquake, the QRCS is calling on all benevolent donors to contribute via website (https://qrcs.qa/AEk), mobile app (https://qrcs.qa/apps), home donation collection (33998898), donor service (66666364), call centre (44027777), or donation collection agents at shopping malls.