No end in sight to Afghanistan's misery

As if matters were not bad enough in Afghanistan, an earthquake last week in its mountainous eastern region bordering Pakistan left more than a thousand people dead and destroyed at least 3,000 homes. The immense hardship inflicted on those living in the Geyan district came in the wake of the damage to the country and economy from two decades of civil war that pitted the Taliban, now in power in Kabul, against the previous West-backed government. The United Nations and several countries have rushed aid to the affected areas with more to arrive, and the Taliban has appealed for further assistance. Singapore said it will contribute US$50,000 (S$69,000) as seed money to support the Singapore Red Cross' public fundraising efforts. The help is timely.

Afghanistan has been cut off from much direct international assistance because of Western sanctions over the Taliban's treatment of women and young girls, deepening its humanitarian crisis. The World Food Programme estimates that half of the nation's 39 million people are facing near-starvation. The disaster poses a huge logistical challenge for the Taliban, whose hard-line rule has left it isolated from much of the world. Still, the international community has been quick to react, with Indian, Italian and Pakistani help reaching it directly, or through international aid agencies and the Afghan Red Crescent Society.