SG visits DRC Afghanistan: a call for governments not to turn their backs on millions

The 6.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Eastern Afghanistan on 31 August has compounded Afghanistan’s already-present humanitarian crisis. Half the population are in need of aid, and forced expulsion of Afghan refugees from Pakistan and Iran is exposing millions of returnees to harm. But political fatigue and donor disengagement could turn Afghanistan into a forgotten crisis. The DRC Secretary General’s visit, which coincided with the earthquake, aimed to shore up DRC’s advocacy work in Afghanistan, putting Afghanistan’s returnee crisis firmly back on the global agenda.

DRC assessment and rapid response plan following earthquake destruction

Following the devastating 6.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Eastern Afghanistan on 31 August 2025, DRC are implementing a rapid response to provide immediate support to affected communities, based on an initial needs assessment. The impact has been catastrophic, with over 2000 reported killed, over 3640 injured, and an estimated 1 million people affected overall.

DRC’s immediate response mobilized medical teams and ambulances to affected areas, prioritizing vulnerable groups. DRC’s continued response will focus on:

• Distribution of “on the move” kits and cash assistance to help survivor households cover healthcare costs, repair homes and properties, and access goods and services at the remaining functional local markets. Accessibility for women and girls and other vulnerable groups will be ensured through community level or door-to-door cash distribution.
• Deployment of medical teams and ambulances, originally attached to demining units, to provide immediate healthcare support in affected areas. 20% of affected areas are inaccessible by vehicle, so DRC teams are now reaching communities deeper in the mountains, trekking up to three hours on foot.
• In addition to continuing multi-purpose cash distributions, DRC will commence protection services, shelter/NFI assistance and humanitarian mine action, scaling up the response in a coordinated matter.

DRC’s assessments show that the vulnerability of women, children, and persons with disabilities has been particularly acute in this crisis. Living in open spaces without privacy or protection, these groups face heightened risks of exploitation, violence, and health complications. Geographic access restraints and the risk of landslides continue to present a critical obstacle to the earthquake response, delaying casualty verification the delivery of life-saving assistance to those most in need.

Early recovery investment is critical. There is urgent need to initiate robust investment in sustainable programmes that rebuild destroyed homes, restore livelihoods, and help communities recover with dignity. Support for NGOs already operating in Afghanistan is indispensable -- these organisations have deep-rooted relationships with communities, demonstrated scalability and ability to deliver aid in principled manner in hard-to-reach villages.

Afghanistan’s returnee crisis: forced returns must stop

The earthquake’s effects are hitting an already crisis-affected population. Both Iran and Pakistan, which host an estimated 7 million+ Afghan refugees and migrants, have been pursuing a policy of forced return for some years, sending millions back to Afghanistan. In the first eight months of 2025 alone, over 2,260,000 Afghans in neighbouring Iran and Pakistan were forced to return. Returnees face insecurity, loss of livelihoods, and low-to-no access to basic services; with earthquake-affected areas in the East seeing high numbers of returns, risk of harm is mounting. Earthquake destruction only heightens protection risks to Afghan returnees thrust into an already precarious environment.

The danger is particularly stark for Afghan women and girls, who face significant gendered restrictions in Afghanistan, and a heightened risk of gender-based violence when unsheltered following natural disaster.

DRC has repeatedly called for the cessation of forced returns, which violate humanitarian principle and expose vulnerable millions to preventable harm. The earthquake, and the death and destruction that has followed, makes this call more urgent than ever.

DRC Secretary General Charlotte Slente’s visit to Afghanistan at the start of September was a strategic call for global actors not to turn their backs on Afghanistan, which risks becoming a forgotten crisis. Slente, her accompanying team, and the local DRC team used the media visibility briefly provided by the earthquake to support efforts in putting Afghanistan’s returnee crisis firmly back on the global agenda. In interviews with both international and Danish media, Slente and DRC Afghanistan’s Country Office highlighted the criticality of sustaining support.

Scenes of hope at Herat’s women’s market

The DRC Secretary General’s recent visit to Western Afghanistan, the Islam Qala Iran-Afghanistan border crossing, and the Herat province aimed to assess the humanitarian impact of the forced returns crisis in the region. Her team were met with a despairing reality. Exhausted families are constantly arriving from Iran, pursued by a relentless policy of forced return. At the reception centre in Afghanistan, returning women expressed their deepest fears in conversations with the SG: lack of education opportunities for their children, inability to find affordable shelter in the coming winter, and shortage of jobs – especially for women.

The scenes in Herat, where the SG visited the women’s market which DRC helped set up, paint a more hopeful picture. Here, some thirty women entrepreneurs operate small shops selling women’s clothing, beauty products, and shawls. The vendors described the market as a means of supporting their families. Some of these women were compelled to pursue businesses after losing their jobs in high schools and universities but expressed hope in expanding their businesses.

Livelihood access for women and girls in Afghanistan is central to humanitarian protection agendas. Now more than ever, support, visibility, and global commitment, must rally for Afghanistan’s most vulnerable.