A powerful 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck northern Afghanistan on 3 November 2025, devastating communities in Balkh and Samangan provinces. The disaster caused extensive damage to homes and health facilities, disrupted access to essential services, and left thousands of women and girls at heightened risk. In the aftermath, limited access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care and gender-based violence (GBV) support has further compounded existing vulnerabilities. UNFPA is working closely with national and local partners to restore these critical services and ensure that the needs of women and girls remain central to the humanitarian response.
UNFPA has deployed its Emergency Response Team to conduct joint assessments, deliver reproductive health supplies, and provide psychosocial support. Seventeen Inter-Agency Reproductive Health (IARH) kits were delivered to Samangan Provincial Hospital and Khulm District Hospital, ensuring life-saving SRH services for up to 816 women of reproductive age. Mobile Health Teams and Psychosocial Support Teams are operating in the hardest-hit districts, offering emergency care, dignity kits, and psychological first aid. As co-lead for Accountability to Affected People (AAP) and the Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) Network, UNFPA is ensuring that the response upholds protection, inclusion, and accountability for affected women and girls.
