Frequently asked questions: Our work following the earthquake in Afghanistan

The ICRC is working closely with partners from the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement to help the victims of the earthquake. This includes close collaboration with the Afghan Red Crescent Society, the International Federation of the Red Cross, and other national societies providing support in country.

The ICRC has provided 21.5 tons of medical supplies to the Nangarhar Regional Hospital, Kunar Provincial Hospital, Nangarhar University Teaching Hospital, Fatimatu Zahra Hospital and five ARCS mobile health teams as well as offering physical rehabilitation treatment and materials such as 780 crutches, 290 walking frames, and 580 wheelchairs to earthquake survivors. It supports search and recovery operations in the different areas affected, furthermore, the ICRC is funding latrine construction, waste management, and water delivery, and has supported heavy machinery to clear blocked roads. We have been supporting the Afghan Red Crescent Society’s Restoring Family Links efforts to support victims of the earthquake in locating their loved ones and provided forensic services assistance to the Ministry of Defence. Awareness raising on the risks of unexploded ordinance was aired through local radio stations. 

The ICRC is working to clear and open roads to ensure better access. Prior to this, some Afghan Red Crescent Society health teams were airlifted to the sites and others walked long hours to get there as early as possible. The ICRC response also includes more infrastructure support, such as providing water and sanitation emergency materials, and delivery of drinking water.

Following the tragic event, international media have reported on the restrictions on female aid workers to provide relief efforts to the female population of the affected areas. However, the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement health teams dispatched to the affected areas consist of both male and female personnel. About 20 Afghan Red Crescent Society female volunteers trained on community-based health and First Aid have also been deployed.

Furthermore, the ICRC worked with the Ministry of Public Health, which agreed to deploy 10 rapid-response teams of female doctors, nurses, and midwives, each accompanied by a male guardian. The ICRC will cover deployment costs, including incentives, transportation, accommodation, and medical supplies.

If you or someone you know needs support, please visit our Find Help page. It provides guidance on how the ICRC may be able to assist, depending on your situation and location.

You can contact the ICRC in Afghanistan here:

Telephone: +93799550055 / +93701150000

The Afghan Red Crescent Society is the main provider in the country to help families restore contact with their loved ones. The ICRC team works jointly with the Afghan Red Crescent Society and provides its technical support in addressing these cases.

If you are in Afghanistan, you can visit the nearest Afghan Red Crescent Society branch or ICRC office where you live:

OR use the Restoring Family Links (RFL) hotline, +93729140641

OR email: KAB_Tracing_Services@icrc.org

If you have lost contact due to lack of connectivity, we recommend that you first wait a few days and approach the Afghan Red Crescent Society, once the telecommunications are restored, if you still cannot reach your loved one.  

If you are outside Afghanistan, please contact the nearest Red Cross or Red Crescent office in the country where you currently live. You can find more contact information in this directory.

It may take time to locate your relative, but as soon as there is news, the Afghan Red Crescent Society will contact you. We acknowledge the distress of having a missing relative, and we hope this painful and distressing period is over soon for you and your family. 

At the moment, the ICRC is providing support to local facilities, to enable them to provide appropriate treatment and support to people affected by the earthquake. We are not handing over food, cash or medicines directly to individuals or families. 

No. We operate without religious affiliation. We are a neutral, impartial and independent humanitarian organization and we work with impartiality as to nationality, race, gender, religious beliefs, class and political opinions. 

Under international humanitarian law, all those caught up in war, no matter their affiliation, should be protected. 

This doesn’t preclude us from speaking to religious groups, but this engagement is purely practical: we always speak to all parties involved, so we can get safe access to people who need support.