The European Union (EU) announced this Thursday the release of 250,000 euros in humanitarian funds to assist the population displaced by the escalation of the conflict in Afghanistan, according to information from the EU delegation in the Afghan capital. The aid is intended to cover the urgent needs of some 70,000 people in the provinces of Khost, Kunar, Nangarhar, Nuristan, Paktika, and Paktya, areas particularly affected by recent hostilities and still suffering from the consequences of last year's earthquakes. The funding will be channeled through the Afghan Red Crescent, under the umbrella of the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). The emergency operation includes the distribution of food and the delivery of cash to cover basic needs, as well as the provision of temporary shelters for displaced families and access to primary health care, drinking water, and sanitation. In 2025, the EU allocated more than 161 million euros to various humanitarian partners on the ground. The mobilization of these funds directly responds to the increase in displacements, where the civilian population lacks access to minimum survival services following the intensification of clashes. The military escalation, which began on February 26, stems from Islamabad's accusations against the de facto Taliban government for giving refuge on Afghan soil to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) insurgency, and quickly degenerated into aerial bombings over Kabul and Afghan drone counterattacks. While Taliban authorities place the death toll at 411, the UN mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has independently confirmed 143 fatalities, warning that the count will continue to increase as verification on the ground progresses.
