Indonesian NGO Sends Medical Team to Quake-Hit Afghanistan

An Indonesian humanitarian group has deployed a medical mission to Afghanistan’s Kunar province to support survivors of last month’s devastating earthquake, which left thousands dead and injured.

The Medical Emergency Rescue Committee (MER-C), based in Jakarta, announced that its team departed earlier this week and will remain in Afghanistan until October 9. The delegation includes doctors Tonggo Meaty Fransisca and Citra Haflinda Prihatiningrum, nurse Wirsal Adiansyah Harahap, and journalist Andhika Pamungkas.

“MER-C’s team will carry out a mission in Kunar, eastern Afghanistan,” Dr. Fransisca said in a video statement before departure. “This mission is to provide medical services and food assistance to earthquake-affected communities in Kunar.”

The team has brought medicines for around 500 people, which will be distributed to several villages across the province. The effort comes as local communities struggle with shortages of basic supplies and medical care in the aftermath of the disaster.

On August 31, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck Kunar province late at night, followed by several strong aftershocks in the days that followed. The quake flattened villages, trapping people beneath rubble for hours. Nearly 2,000 people were killed across the affected region, which includes Kunar, Nangarhar, and Laghman provinces. More than 3,600 were injured, while thousands were left homeless as entire communities were reduced to ruins.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), over 3,000 families remain displaced and more than 8,400 homes were destroyed or damaged by the tremors. Despite the scale of the disaster, international assistance has so far fallen short. OCHA estimates that only $23.7 million in lifesaving aid has been received, compared to the $139 million required.

“The earthquake disaster in Afghanistan has had a major health and social impact, but humanitarian support from the international community appears inadequate for the people there,” said Dr. Hadiki Habib, chairman of MER-C’s executive committee.

Afghanistan, already grappling with economic hardship and limited healthcare infrastructure, faces mounting challenges in the wake of the disaster. Relief efforts have been hampered by damaged roads, logistical constraints, and political complexities, leaving rural communities particularly vulnerable.

For MER-C, the mission reflects a commitment to boosting humanitarian support where international aid has been insufficient. In addition to providing medical services, the Indonesian team will distribute food packages to families struggling with shortages.

The organization has a long history of providing emergency medical relief in crisis zones around the world, including Palestine, Pakistan, and Indonesia’s own disaster-hit regions. Its presence in Afghanistan underscores the urgent need for greater global attention to the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the quake-affected areas.