US to announce $12 million in aid for Afghanistan following earthquakes

Afghan men stand on the debris of damaged houses after the recent earthquake, in the district of Zinda Jan, in Herat, Afghanistan October 10, 2023. REUTERS/Ali Khara

(Reuters) - The United States is providing $12 million in immediate humanitarian assistance to respond to earthquakes in Afghanistan this month that have killed and injured thousands, according to a U.S. Agency for International Development statement seen by Reuters on Thursday.

Multiple earthquakes struck in the western province of Herat on Saturday and Wednesday, destroying entire villages in the war-torn country, which has long relied on foreign aid that has dried up since the Taliban took over in 2021.