Rescuers race to find Afghan earthquake survivors as death toll passes 1,400
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Afghanistan Earthquake Death Toll Exceeds 1,400 as Aid Cuts Hamper Relief
Above: People outside severely damaged houses in Afghanistan's eastern Kunar province on Sept. 2, 2025. Image copyright: Haroon Sabawoon/Anadolu/Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
This devastating earthquake exposes how international aid cuts are literally costing Afghan lives when disasters strike. With hospitals shuttered and rescue capabilities crippled by funding withdrawals, ordinary Afghans are paying the ultimate price for political disputes with the Taliban government. The timing couldn't be worse — just as Afghanistan faces this natural disaster, the very humanitarian infrastructure needed for emergency response has been systematically dismantled by donor nations.
Narrative B
Afghanistan's earthquake response demonstrates exactly why the international community must maintain strict oversight of aid distribution rather than enabling Taliban control over resources. The regime's track record of diverting assistance and imposing restrictive policies on aid workers proves that channeling support through experienced partners like the UN and Red Cross remains the only viable approach to actually helping Afghan people.
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© 2025 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 6.15.2
© 2025 Improve the News Foundation.
All rights reserved.
Version 6.15.2