US Silent as Afghanistan Earthquake Relief Hangs in Limbo

Nearly a week after a devastating earthquake killed more than 2,200 people and displaced tens of thousands in Afghanistan, Washington has yet to authorize emergency aid, raising questions over whether the United States intends to provide assistance at all.

According to two former senior U.S. officials and a source familiar with internal discussions, the lack of response reflects a shift in U.S. foreign policy under President Donald Trump, who has significantly reduced foreign aid and recently closed the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), once the primary vehicle for humanitarian relief. USAID was formally shuttered on Tuesday.

The State Department issued a message of condolence to the Afghan people on Monday through a post on X, but by Friday had not approved a declaration of humanitarian need — a step normally taken within 24 hours of a major disaster to unlock U.S. relief funds. Sources said the matter was considered by both State Department and White House officials, but the administration ultimately decided against reversing its policy of halting aid to Afghanistan.

Asked whether the U.S. would provide support following the 6.0-magnitude quake and a series of powerful aftershocks later in the week, a State Department spokesperson said only: “We have nothing further to announce at this time.” A White House official reiterated that President Trump’s priority remains ensuring aid does not reach the Taliban, which has been accused of wrongfully detaining American citizens.

The United States was the largest donor to Afghanistan until earlier this year, when the Trump administration cut off virtually all aid — totaling $562 million annually — after a watchdog report revealed that humanitarian groups had paid roughly $10.9 million in taxes and fees to the Taliban.

International organizations warn that the funding freeze is compounding the humanitarian fallout of the disaster. United Nations aid chief Tom Fletcher described the Afghan quake as “the latest crisis to expose the cost of shrinking resources,” noting that aid cuts have already halted essential health and nutrition programs and grounded aircraft vital to reaching remote areas.

Meanwhile, $105,000 worth of U.S.-funded medical supplies remains stranded in storage. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has requested permission to deliver the items — which include stethoscopes, stretchers, and first aid kits — but has not received approval. “In recent memory, I can’t recall a time when the U.S. did not respond to a crisis like this,” said Kelly Razzouk, IRC’s vice president for policy and advocacy.

Other nations have already stepped in. Britain, South Korea, Australia, India, Pakistan, Iran, and Turkiye are among those sending money, supplies, and personnel. Stephen Rodriguez, the UN Development Programme’s representative in Afghanistan, stressed the urgency: “Beyond the loss of life, we have also seen basic infrastructure and livelihoods destroyed.”

For now, survivors in Afghanistan remain in dire need — and uncertain whether help will come from a country that once led global disaster relief efforts.